Green and Blue Pennies
by element90
Summary: She stared into it, green and blue like that which her fist held tightly...
1. Collin

A light fog had settled over the town an hour before sunrise. The weary traveler squinted through the cloudy blanket. The street was familiar, but the neighborhood had grown past the small hill at the end of the row where he once played. Two steps to the right and his gray hiking boot struck a soda can, a quiet tinkling tickled his ears as it rolled to the edge of the pavement. He knelt to retrieve the litter, a small smile washing over his handsome, young features when he read the label.

_I know you drank my soda! You better come out right this second, mister!_

_From his hiding spot, he could see her hair shining in the orange-tinted sunlight. He could see the dandelions swaying along the cracked sidewalk. He could taste the salty summer air caressing the ocean waves and alighting inland upon the small dunes._

_She searched above and beneath, her impatience growing with each minute of no discovery.  
_

_I'll find you!_

A loud van rolled past him on the street. Its rear tire bounced off the curb before it disappeared out of sight. He looked to the right and laid eyes upon such comfort; a quaint house surrounded by a perfectly kept lawn dotted with various ornaments. A single light was on inside, a shadow passing by now and then. On the front porch, he curled into the corner behind a wicker chair painted eggshell white. He yawned, slowly blinking his eyes and relaxing as best he could into the shadows.

_You can't hide from me! I'm the best finder in the world!_

An overwhelming need to sleep enslaved his body. He never stirred as the sun rose and the fog broke into intermittent puffs of gray. He merely twitched as Ms. Teslow shuffled swiftly out the door and to the drive where her vehicle sat awaiting its daily commute. It was quite some time later when he was awakened by the sound of a hyper song playing loudly from behind the wall at his back.

Silently he crept to the front window where the curtains were parted just enough for him to see into the colorful living room with a large floral-print sofa and dozens of photos in embellished frames hanging on the walls and sitting on shelves. In the center of the room, on a wide oval rug, a girl danced wildly, flinging her arms in every direction and shaking her head, occasionally lifting her fist to her lips as she sang along.

He smiled, ducking his chin as a soft chuckle escaped him.

_You announce my name after I say three, and I'll jump out from between these sheets!_

_Fresh bloom-scented detergent from the vivid pink bed coverings flapping gently in the cool early spring breeze wafted through the air. She was dressed in a glitter and sequin top, a knee length frilly bright purple skirt with rainbow-striped leggings underneath and loosely laced hot-pink sneakers. Her blond hair was braided in several thin strands and tied tightly into a long, bouncy ponytail at the top of her head._

_Oh! Almost forgot my microphone!_

_She grabbed a wooden spoon from the ground and hurried into position._

_Get ready! 1...2...3! _

The phone rang in the distance, and Keely jogged out of sight to answer. He heard her laughter every now and then. He stood up, stretching his stiff muscles. He pulled his lightweight black jacket closer to his chilled body and glanced around.

Short, thin pines across the street swayed, their needles brushing against one another in a whispered ballad. A neighbor kid, with earbuds in and a skateboard against his side sauntered towards the open back-hatch of a light green Jeep. A woman followed on his heels speaking fast into a cell phone; her purse strap falling off her shoulder and the piece of paper in her hand threatened by the moderate breeze.

The muffled beat from inside abruptly ended. He turned back to the window as Keely laughed again into the portable phone, said a quick 'bye' and headed towards the front door, flipping off a lamp and snatching up a tan bag with turquoise stones.

She stepped onto the porch and locked the door. Keely mumbled a complaint under her breath when the keys dropped from her hand, the ring binding them together separating upon impact.

He fidgeted as he watched her on one knee collecting the keys. Her skin was as flawless as he remembered. Her hair was straight, glossy and vibrant and long lashes hid her eyes.

She snapped the ring back into place and stood up, catching out of the corner of her eye the slight movement of his restless hands. With a small startle, she turned fully in his direction.

"Hi..." he whispered, his voice hitching in his dry throat.

She cocked her eyebrow and replied hesitantly, "...Hi."

Keely moved a step closer, her inquiring eyes searching to place the familiar face and its friendly smile.

"I know you..." she said, as if to convince herself more than anything else.

He nodded gently.

A gust warmed by early summer sun blew through the neighborhood; a stray newspaper danced down the street as it passed. The light green Jeep had finally been able to leave its parking spot and revved by in a hurry.

"Collin..." she spoke above a whisper, her eyes shimmering with tearful disbelief and joy.

His smile was crooked, like that she remembered, but the boyishness had been replaced. His bright hazel eyes sparkled still but more faintly than before. They seemed desperate, or longing, now. His ebony hair was no longer carelessly spiked; it was thin, longer, hanging nearer his eyes with a left-sided sweep. A three inch scar, dark against his pale skin, stretched from the tip of his jaw down the right side of his neck.

Keely felt trickles of a chill trace like frozen fingertips along her spine at the sight of it.

Collin noticed the way her face had changed, but it quickly broke into a wide grin reaching her eyes. Her arms prepared to embrace him, and he smiled in return.

"Collin Blake!" she squealed.

They closed the gap in a split second, crushing each other with a tight hug. Keely had to push herself up on tip-toes to rest her chin on his shoulder. She closed her eyes, a tiny droplet clinging to her cheekbone.

_Oh, no! Collin! Look!_

_Keely lowered herself next to the tiny brown bird; the hem of her sundress grazing the dirt. The wind tossed her long curls as she hovered protectively over the unmoving baby bird. She began to sniffle._

_It's..._

_She couldn't speak the word, and a single tear rolled slowly over her sun-kissed cheek. Collin placed a comforting hand upon her thin shoulder. She sat on the ground under the sprawling old magnolia tree, not bothering to care about her dress. Collin sat beside her, taking her hand. Her bottom lip trembled, her eyes darkening with sorrow. Collin caught a drop with his thumb against the side of her nose._

Collin's weak arms fell away from her waist as a tired sigh escaped his lips. Keely pushed back to see into his eyes. He lifted his hand to wipe the drop of water from her cheek; his eyelids struggling against their own heaviness. Keely released her hold.

"How...what..." She shook her head, smiling a little at her inability to form a complete thought at the moment.

He opened his mouth just as her cell emitted its peppy ring tone.

"Just, just a sec," she apologized while checking the caller's name and number. She put some space between them and answered with a quick 'yes?'.

Collin watched as the corner of her mouth turned up and her eyes rolled slightly. He could hear a muffled low voice speaking into her ear.

"I'll be there."

She ended the call and stuffed the phone inside her bag. Her smile was radiant when she faced Collin again.

"Gosh...I can't believe I'm looking at you right now..." she said while giving him a somewhat lingering once-over. "You're taller than me."

He laughed quietly, and Keely's palm pressed against her forehead.

"Gah, I haven't seen you in years and all I can say is 'you're taller than me'..." she mumbled through a small smile of embarrassment.

"It's alright," he assured with a nod. "You have somewhere to be...?"

"Yeah, I have work..." she bit her lip. "I hate to run out like this..."

"I'll be around later," he offered.

Keely grinned. "Great!"

Collin smiled softly in return, the happy tone of her voice reminding him of the little girl he once knew so well.

"Where are you staying?" she asked quietly, the grin gone and her brow furrowed slightly.

He stiffened a bit but shrugged it off quickly as his heart skipped a beat.

"Keely...?"

His voice was strained, his expression seemed lost. She moved close again, concern and confusion playing across her features. Collin reached for her tentatively, and she pressed her body against his again.

They were silent and still, locked in a hug for several minutes, but the time had ceased to matter in that long moment. A couple of cars, one with an unknown rattle, traveled the street. The wind rose in strength; the pine branches bending at its command. Above was a strangely beautiful mixture of blue and green and broken rays of sunlight shining through lonely gray clouds stretched like torn cotton across the sky.


	2. Sit N Sip

One Week Earlier

The traffic couldn't drown out Keely's thoughts as she walked swiftly along the sidewalk. Through her mind rushed trigonometric solutions she didn't understand, the week's hectic work schedule, possible topics for a final paper, the odd feeling left over from her restless night, and whether to buy the green jacket with silver buttons or the black skinny jeans with the red patch on the back pocket.

She hurried into the bookstore-coffee shop, passing by patrons sitting upon circular cushions and sipping their coffee or nibbling at their sticky buns. Her foot caught the corner of a shelf, sending her forward, her cell phone hitting the stone flooring and sliding to a rest at a set of well-worn loafers.

"How much abuse can this poor phone take?" the man asked, bending to pick it up.

"Sorry for being late, Mr. Jaxon, I got a little held up after class," Keely sighed heavily, grabbing her apron from her tan bag and tying it in place as quickly as possible.

The balding, short man with a burgundy sweater vest smiled kindly. "Don't fret now, Keely. Just slow down. For the sake of your phone if nothing else."

She smiled and nodded as he put the phone in her hand and tapped her shoulder gently. "Thanks, Mr. Jaxon."

Getting to work she tried her best to block out all thoughts except those pertinent to the task at hand: making sure to not spill any coffee, frozen or hot, on the floor, counter, or customers.

"Excuse me, Miss, do you have any books on time travel?"

Rolling her eyes and not bothering to turn around, Keely finished cleaning off the cappuccino machine.

"Uh, Misssss?"

"Phil," she said flatly, glancing over her shoulder while digging out from a drawer a fresh hand towel, "why don't you find an after school activity? A sport maybe, or a club. Or hey, even a job. Or is that too old-fashioned for you."

He leaned on the counter, fiddling with a container of stirring straws.

"Yeesh, somebody need a caffeine fix?" he mumbled.

"I don't drink the product," she responded curtly, giving him a look.

Phil wagged a finger. "I've seen those sugar and cream packets you didn't hide very well under your bed."

"What...are you doing snooping under my bed?"

He whistled under his breath, looking about the shop innocently.

Keely scoffed as she straightened sealed bags of cups and napkins, a few tumbling to the floor when her elbow bumped them.

"Ah, shoot..." She gathered the items and rearranged them a second time with a frustrated sigh.

"Are you sure you didn't fib earlier when I asked if you were alright?" Phil inquired, planting himself on a bar stool.

Keely finished her current chore and folder her hands on the counter. "Will you at least order something?"

Phil gave her a small smile and fished for a few bucks. "The usual."

She set about fixing his frozen lemonade while he smoothed out the wrinkled dollar bills.

"I've been kinda out of it today, I guess," she said while snapping the lid on tight and passing it across to his awaiting hands.

Keely eyed the cash. "Five dollar tip, Phil?"

"You've had a rough day."

"Actually it was a rough night," she replied with a frown.

Sipping his drink, Phil inquired, "Bad dream?"

She nodded and closed the register drawer. "Nothing really happened, but it was so weird. Definitely gave me the philly-willies," she added with a playful smirk.

"Was there a big orange penguin with Owen-hair and wearing a baby blue bikini?"

Both brows raised as she chuckled softly, "What?"

He stared at his drink for a moment then shook his head. "So what was your dream about?"

She shrugged. "I remember lots of water and lightning or some kind of flash. My chest was burning..."

Phil frowned as his best friend lowered her eyes and pulled her lips into a tight thin line. The store grew busier as more and more people headed inside for a cup of coffee or a quick read after work. Keely took seven orders, her expression showing her distraction the entire time. When the line was finally empty, she turned to Phil and sighed, her face showing some life again.

"Have you started on your final paper yet?"

He shook his head as he popped off the lid of his cup and chugged the small icy clump left at the bottom.

"Who knew Psych class would've ended up giving me the most trouble? All those terms get so confusing." She replaced the bag in the trash bin under the counter. "And there are some disorders I just don't wanna know all the gory details."

Phil smiled. "The brain can do fascinating, disturbing things."

At that moment a couple male teens poured their frozen mocha drinks onto their table and began a slurping race to the finish. Keely rolled her eyes while nearby patrons swallowed their disgust.

"Be back in a sec," she stated in a bored, irritated tone as she walked off to confront the boys.

Her best friend watched as the delinquents faked ignorance to Keely's complaints and how she grabbed an earlobe from each and very discreetly showed them the door. Phil nodded his approval as she made her way back to him through a small crowd of appreciative customers.

"It's something every week with those two," she huffed, returning to her spot behind the counter.

"They're flirting with you, Keel," he replied with a chuckle. "Any attention is good for them."

She smirked. "The blond_ is_ kinda cute..."

Phil's eyes widened.

"I'm kidding," she laughed. "Unless maybe he was a few years older..."

"Huh...think I just got an idea for your Psych paper..."

Raising an eyebrow Keely prodded, "Oh yeah? Just what might that be, Phil Diffy?"

"Psychological influences behind the pubescent male fantasizing about females on the verge of adulthood. It is related to an unnatural relationship with older women, perhaps in a position of authority, _perhaps_ one they once called 'mommy'?"

Keely stared. "...icky."

Phil chewed on his straw, responding with a nod.

Shaking off the thought, Keely rested an elbow on the counter and allowed her palm to cradle her cheek. She knew, of course, that Mr. Jaxon preferred his employees to remain upright and perkily presentable at all times, which normally made Keely the perfect candidate, but on this day she was feeling a step off from her normal self.

"As this being a free society, I give you a choice in the matter, but rest assured should you choose not to do the paper and instead spend your time copying every word of ten chapters, I will reward your diligence with nothing more than a failing grade..."

Keely chuckled, and Phil beamed back at her as he flipped through pages in his binder, each filled with neatly arranged instructions on how to research and format their final.

In his own voice, he added, "Whatta wanker..."

"I knew that study period with Via would do _something_ to you..." she smirked, "Just didn't know _what_."

"I do_ not_ have a crush on Via," Phil said slowly, stressing every word. "C'monnn... I give the girl a birthday present and everyone goes berserk. A guy in high school just trying to be a friend to a girl can't win."

Keely leaned closer, taking her turn to make sure her point was well taken. "It was a ring, Phil."

"So?" he replied, his voice raising in pitch. "I gave you a bracelet."

"It was a _promise_ ring, Phil."

He growled in frustration, raising off the bar stool and tugging at his hair. "I didn't know that! How many times do I have to repeat myself?!"

Keely giggled at his dramatic display, and Phil settled down. He pouted silently while Keely took the change from the tip jar near the register and emptied it into a lock box under the counter. One coin bounced off the edge of the box and rolled across the under-shelf. It made a pinging sound as it struck a wine glass that Mr. Jaxon kept for himself to use after hours while enjoying a good book alone by the fire.

It spun like a top then collapsed face up. Keely snatched it up and dropped it onto the pile. Before closing the lid, her eye caught the drop of green atop the small mound of silver. She stared at the green penny for a moment, as if the ordinariness of seeing it was suddenly significant.

"Keely?"

"...Huh?"

Phil smiled at the blank expression on her face. "You didn't hear a word I said, did you?"

Shaking her head, she offered him a small smile of apology. He waved her off, having said nothing of extreme matter anyhow.

"Well," he began, sliding off the bar stool, "I'll be in the corner if you need me, or want, or whatever," he finished with a twitch in the corner of his mouth.

"Yeah...okay..." she replied distantly, glancing down at the green coin again.

Phil paused, watching her brows furrow and lips part slightly. He frowned and slowly pushed away from the counter, retreating to what had become his spot, giving his best friend a glance over his shoulder once.

Keely tucked the hair that had fallen in her view behind her ear and, feeling suddenly uncomfortable, quickly locked the box.


	3. From Somewhere

With a hand to her forehead, Keely's mother trudged through the front door on a Friday afternoon, letting her purse plop to the floor unceremoniously.

"Hi, sweetums," she greeted her teen daughter who was sprawled on the sofa with a plate of nachos and a large glass of peach tea. "Whoo...it's warm out. Must really feel like the official start of summer vacation..."

"And I can fully enjoy it knowing I won't have to repeat Psych class." Keely smiled cheerfully and munched away without a current care in the world.

"Oh! That's wonderful!" Mandy Teslow squealed in much the same fashion her offspring had been known to do. She shook her head when Keely remained silent. "Well? What's the final letter?"

She held off a little longer than necessary, amused by the anticipation in her mother's bright eyes as she tried to handle the suspense.

"Keely!" she laughed, giving her daughter's leg a light swat. "What did you get?!"

"An 'A'..." she replied with a grin. "Minus."

Ms. Teslow nearly tackled her. "Oh, my baby girl!"

With a strained tone, Keely encouraged her mom to calm down and stop blocking her airway. Mandy quickly sat on the other end of the sofa, but kept the huge grin plastered on her glowing face.

"I am so proud of you. And you did well in your other classes?"

"Yup." Keely glanced at the car keys in her mom's hand. "So...this _is_ the summer before my senior year...and I _am_ a pretty darn good student..."

"It's yours."

Keely shot up off the sofa and began dancing, moving her arms in a circular motion and shaking her hips slowly.

Her mom chuckled. "IF...you promise me to be extremely careful. No speeding, none of that crazy fire drill stuff, no -"

"Mom, you know I won't. I'll be completely responsible."

She sighed. "My baby's all grown up..."

Keely groaned quietly, "Mom..."

"Alright, alright..."

She hugged her daughter tightly, causing a slight wince to appear on Keely's face. She gave her a peck on the forehead and shuffled off into the kitchen. Keely caught the sight of something shiny on the sofa. Picking up the single key dangling from a smiley face key chain that her mom must have set there while she was engaged in celebratory dance, Keely grinned and bounced excitedly.

A knock at the door interrupted her, and she skipped on her way to answer it.

"I got a car!"

Via smiled brightly. "That's fabulous! And yes, of course you may take me to the mall. Thank you for asking."

Rolling her eyes, Keely replied, "So, what's up?"

"Ah, well... I was just moments ago attacked by a group of preteen girls who have, for some reason, made Phil their obsession."

"Huh?"

"It was incredibly strange..." Shaking her head she added, "They wore rubber bracelets bearing his name."

Keely cracked up, bending over to support herself with hands on her knees.

"Seriously."

The blonde's smiled immediately faded. "That's... that's..."

"Putting it aside for now, they have heard Phil and I share a... promise. They seemed quite upset with me."

Keely bit back a chuckle. "Let me see if I have this right... some little girls are majorly crushing on Phil, found out about the ring, and now totally have it out for you..."

Via nodded.

"They actually physically attacked you?"

"No, but the screeching verbal onslaught was like that of a pack of demons... terribly frightening," Via explained with a hint of sarcasm.

Keely replied with a giggle, "Who could've guessed?"

They looked at one another for a moment then laughed. Via took a seat in the eggshell-colored wicker chair on the porch, stretching her arms and popping her neck. She stared out at the empty street as Keely sat in a flamingo-colored plastic lawn chair next to her.

"Kinda quiet..." Keely sighed. " Kids don't kick off the start of summer break the way _we_ used to."

Via tilted her head. "How's that?"

Keely gazed out at the neighborhood where not a single child or teen roamed the sidewalks nor darted across the street. A puff of cloud passed overhead, casting a shadow on the still row of houses. She watched at it moved from one end to the other and disappeared in the distance.

"Water balloon wars, candy feasts... a couple times we even staged a parade right down the center of the road," she said with a far away look in her eyes.

"Oh, I'm sure the commuters loved that..."

Keely grinned. "Actually they did, most of them anyway. They honked right along with the beat of our makeshift marching drum line."

"You Americans fascinate me to no end..." Via leaned towards Keely. "Please, do tell me more."

Keely narrowed her eyes at the brunette, and Via responded with a tiny playful smirk. She shook her head at the Brit and focused her attention on the street again. More cracks lined the surface than last summer; a couple of potholes were forming too.

Via chuckled, "I once went swimming in a mossy pond in the countryside back home once classes ended for the term. I was put on antibiotics for two weeks. A friend, a plump fellow with bright orange hair, dove head-first into the muck from off a tree branch. An underwater rock busted his face like a block of ice. He lost his shorts as we dragged him from the muddy bottom. It was quite the spectacle, as I'm sure you can imagine."

"Gosh, Via...was he okay?"

"Certainly didn't do anything for his looks, but he carried on. Actually became rather popular."

Keely laughed quietly and rested her feet on a wooden box with packets of seeds painted on it, flowers and vegetables. She crossed her legs at the ankles and glanced at the ceiling of the porch.

"I remember going to the beach, the day after school let out one year...and..."

Via gave her a moment, then encouraged her to continue. "And?"

"I don't...know..." She shook her head. "I think it was cold...but...I don't know."

"Great story, Keely. One for the books, indeed..." Via joked lightly after a few seconds of silence.

Keely dismissed a slight chill crawling up her spine and forced out a believable chuckle. Turning her head to the left just as a warm breeze grazed her skin, she allowed her eyelids to flutter shut for a few seconds and sighed softly. A gentle whisper reached her ears, and she opened her eyes.

Turning to her friend, she asked, "Huh?"

"Hm?"

Keely's brow furrowed slightly. "I thought I heard a voice..."

"I didn't say anything."

Shrugging it off Keely replied, "...'kay."

"Grand," Via said, pointing near the first step, "An addition to your savings, Keely. Perhaps put it in on your first tank of gas."

The blonde looked down at the floor where a single cent rested at the very edge of the cement. "Awesome! Guess I won't be needing those scholarship and loan applications," she laughed. "Should we party now or later?"

Via picked up the coin and frowned. "Bugger...one of those dirty ones, all oxidized and such. Make your hands smell awful if you handle too many for long."

Keely stared at the greenish penny pinched between Via's fingertips, overcome by similarly unexplained feelings she had experienced earlier in the week.

"Still fancy it?"

She cleared her throat as her forehead creased. "Um..."

"Keely?" Via chuckled a bit. "It's just a question. Even in this state, you know, it still has its worth. As unexciting and useless as that may be."

The blonde responded with a small smile as the odd feelings began to dissipate. She watched as Via set the coin on the small metal-wire table between them, thinking about her friend's words. A thought occurred to her, or more of an intuition arose from deep within her: it was worth more than that.

Somehow, to Keely, it was everything.

* * *

Likely to be a few days before another update. Busy, busy.


	4. The Cabin

_Stars, thousands shining brightly without any moon, lighted their way along the narrow path. Keely kicked at a medium-sized chunk of the broken bluff-side to remove it from the center of the walkway. The trail wound tightly around the edge of it; their hands occasionally clung to the rocky surface to help their feet pass carefully over a tricky step._

"_My flashlight's getting dim, I think," she said to her companion who was a few feet ahead of her._

_Keely grunted as she shifted the small pack on her back too full of snacks and boxes of juice for such a short journey. She shook the thick yellow flashlight and sighed. A soft crackle drew her attention towards the forest rim above the steep sloping bluff._

"_Collin!" she spat out in a harsh whisper._

_He paused and glanced at her over his shoulder. He could barely make out her face behind the light she held pointed at him._

"_Did you hear that?" she whispered again._

"_Raving lunatics? Murderous fiends?" he replied intentionally in a louder than normal volume for conversation between people so close to one another._

_Keely immediately shushed him, and Collin suppressed a chuckle. She heard the noise again, nearer this time, and leaped forward, nearly jumping right into Collin's arms._

"_There's nothing out here that can hurt you," he said as he gently pushed her away from attempting to burrow her face into the crook of his neck._

"_What about bears or mountain lions? Or a coyote with rabies! Couldn't we have done this during the day?" she whispered into the chilly night air. Her flashlight blinked a couple of times, causing a shiver to consume her body._

"_Nothing can hurt you, Keely," he repeated evenly. "Trust me..."_

_She did, wholeheartedly even, but her faith in him did not ease her fear of being so vulnerable deep within the black woods. She put some space between her and her friend but made sure to be close enough to seek physical comfort again if it should be needed. She was certain it would be._

_He silently traded flashlights with her, and she thanked him with a small smile. They moved forward again, Collin with a slower pace to hopefully make Keely feel more secure with just a few steps separating them._

_Collin gave her flashlight a quick touch on the plastic plate covering the bulb inside, the corner of lips up-turning when the beam shone brightly suddenly as if new batteries had just been installed._

"_Hey..." Keely uttered as she noticed the expansion of light, now illuminating the trail plus several feet of terrain to its sides._

"_Guess the batteries weren't as shot as we thought," he commented coolly with a slight shrug, keeping his back to her so that the faint smile wouldn't be detected._

_The trail had started to slope upwards and circle the bluff. They walked in silence until they had reached the peak where the top of the bluff flattened and stretched widely towards another towering rock face._

_Keely bumped Collin's back when he abruptly stopped in his tracks. She glanced around him to see a log cabin, dilapidated and covered in thick ivy. She gulped loudly, and Collin's gaze on the small house broke to rest upon Keely's slightly pale face._

"_You shouldn't have come," he said compassionately._

"_I wasn't going to let you come out here alone," she replied without hesitation. A tint of pink had crept into her cheeks as she crossed her arms across her chest. The beam of her light spotlighted a high branch in a large oak tree, and something scurried along the bark._

_She jumped, letting out a shrill squawking sound. Collin stared at her as she settled down a bit and cast her eyes downward in silent admittance that he was right._

_Collin's expression grew darker as he shifted his attention at the cabin draped heavily in night's shadows._

_He stalked towards the long-abandoned home, Keely trailing cautiously after him. Nocturnal creatures skidded amongst the dried leaves on the forest floor surrounding the flat rock surface. Branches of dying trees creaked under their own weight high above the busted wooden roof._

_Keely could smell the stench of rotted logs and thick wet mulch. Collin paused at the unhinged door, staring blankly at the splintered and weathered surface._

"_Wait...you're not going in there, are you?"_

_He turned his head to his right where she stood panting nervously. "Of course," he replied simply, chuckling to himself at the absurdity of her question._

_The dark demeanor had been replaced with a more familiar warmth. Keely slowly reached out to grasp his wrist. He smiled softly and pushed against the deteriorating door. It gave way easily, and Collin stepped over the debris at the threshold, guiding Keely with his fingers securely weaved through her own._

_Square windows were covered in a tan dusty layer of filth. Cobwebs, silvery in her flashlight's glow, stretched across every corner of the room, which was a combination of living space and kitchen. A fireplace held nothing but blackened ash. The sofa was sagging in its center and its musty odor filled her nostrils. _

_She coughed quietly, and Collin's eyes flicked upward the one or two inches to reach her own. She had taken quite the growth spurt over the past year while his height had remained steady. Her head shook slightly to assure him she was fine, though her grip tightened a little as they moved further from the exit._

_Inside a painfully tiny room with a dingy cot shoved to the wall, its coverings hanging to the dusty floor, Collin came to a stop. He looked at each wall, the floor, the scattered belongings, giving each one of them a fair amount of consideration._

"_Collin..." Keely said in a quiet voice, breaking the suffocating silence, "Why did you wait so long...to come here?" She glanced around. "Everything's ruined..."_

_There was a strong smell of mildew in the room. A gaping hole in the ceiling which penetrated through the roof explained why. Many rains had fallen on this place; the room had surely been flooded several times judging by the water stains along the wall bases._

"_I don't care about everything," Collin replied just as quietly, letting go of Keely's hand and lowering himself to the floor._

_On one knee he set his flashlight aside and ran his fingertips along the cracked wooden slats, searching for the tiny carved marking, a crescent moon. The wood was soft and moldy from prolonged exposure to moisture._

"_Be careful, Keely. The floor's weak."_

_She looked down and toed lightly the surface which she had only just noticed the way it caved slightly under them. She held perfectly still as Collin pulled a metal object from his inner coat pocket. He stuck the flat end of the tool between the slats and cautiously began to pry them apart._

_The floor made a hollow cracking sound. He paused for a moment then slowly lifted the brittle board from its place. After setting it to the side, he aimed the flashlight downward into the dark space under the floor. Keely caught the sight of a small twitch of his lips before he extended an arm into the rectangular hole._

_Keely's face brightened when he produced the object he'd hoped so much to find. It was a tarnished metal box that fit precisely in his palm. Collin held it to the light, examining its integrity. He grinned upon realization it hadn't been damaged extensively._

"_Well, what're you waiting for? Open it!"_

_He shook his head, his grin still shining nearly as much as the beam of light. "Let's get out of this dump first."_

_Collin gently stowed the box inside his coat pocket, and he Keely began moving back down the hallway. She took the hand he offered without a word._

_They broke contact upon reaching the flat rock again. Keely brushed past a thin overgrown bush, just bare twigs with a few curled dark leaves attached. She swatted away a stray cobweb trailing from her shoulder._

_The top popped open when he pressed the loose button. A few flakes of what once was a shiny silvery surface fell to the cold stone beneath his feet._

_Immediately his eagerness to open the box was gone. He exhaled the breath he'd been holding, his shoulders slumping._

"_What's wrong?" Keely asked, closing the distance between them._

_He kept his head down for several seconds, and as Keely opened her mouth to question him again, he wrapped his fist around the box, pulled back his arm, and launched small metal container as hard as he could at the cabin. Keely jerked when she heard it strike the wood._

"_It's gone!" Collin yelled, spinning to face her._

_Keely, feeling the intense pain inside her friend, moved to his side._

_He dropped to the ground on his knees, his head bowed and his eyes tightly shut. Keely laid her hand upon his shoulder, her young heart aching for his loss._

_Collin shook his head, fighting against the sting of tears threatening to fall. A burdensome fatigue began to creep into every muscle of his body. His heart pounded in angry sorrow. His mind numbed his other senses. He braced himself with hands on the rock, but his arms quivered. Not trusting them to withstand, he shakily rose to his feet._

"_Do you think -"_

"_Yes!" he answered firmly, staring with a steely gaze into her searching eyes._

_Keely glanced at the ground, unable to face the hard expression etched onto his young face. Collin's head whipped around towards the dead cabin where he spent his first seven years of life. He clenched his fists, knuckles cracking under the force. He marched back to the broken door. _

"_Hey..."_

_His mind blocked her voice. His chest heaved. His blood boiled. He grabbed a large rock and hurled it at one of the small windows. It cracked, split, and busted from the rotting frame. He threw another stone at the opposite window. He continued smashing the glass until every window was destroyed._

_With his emotions still raging, he checked over his shoulder to see Keely's location. She hadn't moved from the spot he left her. Turning back to the cabin, he reached to an outside wall, pressing his palm fully against the rough log._

"_I _hate_ you..." he spat between his teeth._

_In seconds the wood under his hand began to smoke. He pressed harder and the heat intensified, spreading hotter and faster. The smoked rose more rapidly now as a tiny flame appeared on the log, flickering wildly in the sudden gust of warm air that engulfed the small cabin._

"_Hey! Collin!" Keely shouted, her brow tightly knit as she started to walk toward him._

_He turned quickly from the cabin and swiftly strode back to her. His hand gently, despite his stern expression, grasped hers, and he pulled her away from the sight of the growing flame licking at his childhood home._

_As they made their way down the winding trail, Keely struggling to keep with his pace, asked between gasping breaths, "What'd you do? I smell smoke..."_

_He kept moving, silently._

"_Collin," she said in a voice that commanded his attention. _

_He paused, his foot sliding to a stop on the dew-covered path._

"_You set it on fire..."_

_His eyes, lacking their bright green in the night and showing only dark brown now, glanced to the tree line. "Had a match in my pocket. ...Should've done it years ago..."_

_Keely remained quiet, the only sound from her coming from her ragged breathing._

_Collin looked at her, his face softer and showing concern. "Let's get you home."_

_His hand was warm, and the night was becoming colder. She allowed him to lead her down the trail. As they moved into the trees, she glanced behind her and saw a billowing tower of black rising into the starry sky._


	5. Mysteries

A string of melted cheese dangled from her chin, and he leaned over to swipe it with his Tanker's Famous Sloppy Tacos napkin.

"Ugh...sorry... I forgot how messy these were."

Collin titled his head. "Forgot? It's been that long since you've had one?"

She glanced out at the playground. "Ah...it's been years, I guess..."

The sun had set an hour ago, but the evening was warm. A few children still played in the park, chasing each other around the swing set. The air was still and humid. Scores of moths had gathered at the lamps above the picnic tables. Keely had shuddered and scooted down the bench so she wasn't directly under the circling mass.

Collin sat with his arms folded on the table. His black hair partially covered his eyes as he watched her flip her long strands over her shoulder for the third time as she tried to take another bite of her over-stuffed taco. He smiled and looked away, letting his gaze rest upon a group of kids running up the slide. Two girls, probably eight or nine years old, one with blond spirals and the other with dark pigtails, produced a memory from years ago.

"How's Tia?"

Keely took a drink from her large foam cup and chuckled. "She moved..."

"Oh...I'm sorry to hear that."

She smiled, remembering how he never much cared for the girl Keely often spent time with. Tia had liked to tease him for various reasons. She had always hoped to bridge the gap between the pair, but her time to do so had come to an unexpected halt.

"Well, I've got a couple of great friends now. Via, she's foreign and Phil, my best friend, is from the -" Keely laughed nervously. "The, uh, state of Kansas."

Collin raised an eyebrow, but nodded slowly. He finished his water and meticulously cleaned the surface of the table free of crumbs from his dinner. Keely watched with light amusement as he checked and rechecked that every single bit of food had been swept by his hand into the white paper sack.

He caught her faint smirk and responded with one of his own.

"So..." Keely broke the silence after a few moments. "I've been chatting nonstop about myself... What's been going on with you?"

Her voice was low, and her question was asked slowly and with uncertainty. Collin's brows twitched as a small frown crept onto his face.

"Why did you come back, Collin?" she almost whispered.

_She hugged his side with one arm while the other held onto the fast melting ice cream cone._

_We'll be friends forever, huh, Collin?_

_Her eyes were wide and bright embracing a childlike hope._

_Yeah._

_And we'll always be together. ...Right?_

_He bit down on his grape Popsicle and grabbed her hand._

_We better hurry. The parade's about to start._

He responded with a half-smile. "I wanted to see you again."

He held a blank stare on the reflection of lights off her silver and sea-green watch. Keely cleared her throat quietly, dipping her head.

_You can't fool me, Collin. I can tell when you're lying._

_She playfully stuck out her tongue, giggled, and danced around him, the pink fairy wand in her hand glittering in the sunlight, ribbons of thin material swirling behind it._

_Is that right? How?_

_His stance was defiant, but she giggled again and tapped his nose with the wand's tip._

"I've been living in the mountains, southern Colorado..."

She faced him again. "All this time?"

He shrugged, distracted by the enthusiastic cries of the children sprinting past their table. "Mostly..."

A girl had appeared from the opposite side of the park with an arsenal of water balloons which she wasted no time in bombing the others. A boy with red hair bright enough to glow even in the dim playground vowed vengeance at the top of his lungs. Collin cringed a bit, and Keely stifled a laugh.

They watched the battle until the last of the ammunition was exhausted and the children left the park. A light breeze had picked up, but it was little relief in the moisture-laden night.

"A swim would feel amazing right now," Keely commented with an airy sigh.

"Still wear a nose plug?" he asked, a teasing smile playing on his lips.

_Look at the baby! _

_A chubby blond kid held his nose and wiggled about making fun of Keely._

_Do you need arm floaters too?_

_Keely hung her head and toed the pool step._

_Suddenly the bully yelped as he splashed wildly into the pool. Coming up, he broke into a fit of coughs. His eyes watered from the burning inside his nose and at the back of his throat. Kids laughed loudly as he battled his way to the pool's ladder._

_Collin calmly stared down at him._

_Do you?_

"Hey now..." she replied, flicking a wadded straw wrapper at him.

Collin leaned down and blew the paper back to her. His brilliant hazel eyes gleamed under the artificial light, and Keely reached out to stroke the back of his hand. He covered hers with his palm and smiled softly.

"I lived with an elderly woman, Native American, in Colorado. There was a deep pool, clear and icy cold during every season on her place, nestled between wide cedars on a small hill. That water tasted like fresh berries and mint..."

He caressed her hand with his thumb.

He finished quietly, the green in his eyes sparkling, "Dayita said it had healing powers..."

"Dayita?" she asked, sounding relaxed and sleepy from his touch.

"She was a wonderful person, odd at times..." He let go of her hand and stretched. "She had pet mice, dozens of them, and she baked them cookies and told them legends passed down from her great-grandmother. They seemed to hang on every word."

Keely giggled, and Collin stared out into the darkness as his memories invaded his mind.

"I miss her," he whispered.

"Will you go back?"

He shook his head. "She's not there anymore..."

_She covered the baby bird with leaves._

_Why did it have to die?_

_He fought back to the urge to place his hand on the small lump of soft feathers and sighed heavily._

_I don't understand either..._

Keely started to ask why, but he glanced her way and silently answered the unspoken question. A muffled noise from inside the pocket of her shorts distracted her thoughts. She responded quickly.

"Hey," she spoke into the cell phone.

Collin smiled when she rolled her eyes and pointed to the phone. He shifted his position and faced the pebbled drinking fountain near the large sundial. A figure approached their table, dark in the shadows. He could only make out the vague shape of a human.

Keely waved excitedly upon noticing the visitor. Soon Collin saw clearly the source of her sudden perk in attitude, a guy with dark hair wearing a blue t-shirt and khaki shorts, a grin on his face.

"Mom, I gotta go, 'k? I'll be home later. Love you."

"Keel," the newcomer said with a nod in her direction.

She pocketed the phone and grinned. "What's up?"

He looked at Collin briefly, then shrugged. "I was, uh, helping Owen and his friend work on his car. Decided to go for a walk."

"You work on cars?" she asked with a small smirk.

He rolled his eyes. "Okay, no. I was watching."

Keely chuckled and held out a hand, gesturing at Collin. "I want you to meet someone. This is Collin."

"Hey. I'm Phil." He stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"From the state of Kansas." Collin nodded and shared a smile with Keely.

The three lapsed into an awkward silence. Phil, curious of the black haired guy sitting at the table with his best friend, raised an eyebrow. Keely offered him a small smile in return. Collin cleared his throat and stood up next to Phil, who eased back a little once he realized the height advantage Collin had on him.

"Thanks for dinner, Keely."

"You're welcome..." She paused and gave him a questioning look.

He waved off her concerns. "I'll talk to you again very soon."

The worry traced upon her forehead faded as he smiled softly. She nodded. "See ya..."

"Nice to meet you, Phil," he said sincerely before turning to leave.

"Yeah..." Phil was still confused as he watched him walk further into the darkness until he was out of sight. "Who was that, Keel?"

"Collin," she stated plainly as Phil straddled the bench.

"I got that part," he replied, rolling his eyes. _"But who is he?"_

"A good friend...from a long time ago." Her eyes were clouded by distant memories as she stared into the night.

"And?" he inquired, a bit impatiently.

Keely giggled quietly at him. "Gosh, Phil, calm down. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're jealous."

His spine stiffened as he scoffed, "I just want to know who the strange guy is having dinner in a dark, deserted park with my g- best friend."

She nodded slowly with a faint smirk.

"So... who is he?" Phil tried again with a slight shrug, forcing himself to be nonchalant.

Keely sighed. "He was my best friend. He left years ago and came back today. I got off work and invited him to have some tacos with me to catch up."

"You never mentioned him..." Phil noted casually.

She chuckled. "I'm sure there's plenty _you_ haven't mentioned. I mean, really, when I think about it, I don't know much at all about your previous life, Phil."

He frowned as the truth dawned.

"Kinda sad, isn't it?"

"Kinda..." he agreed.

Keely gathered her things. "Wanna get out of here? This humidity is killing my hair."

Phil laughed. "The horror..."

She pinched his arm as they set off and fell into a comfortable silence.


	6. What Science Can't Explain

_The last raindrops from the downpour splattered against the window as fifth-grade students filed into the neatly decorated classroom and took their assigned seats. A few loitered near the door, tossing insults at those passing by in the hallway. Paper balls flew through the air occasionally, pencils rolled repeatedly across wooden desktops. Girls huddled in the aisles, whispering and giggling. A boy in overalls drummed on the back of the seat in front of him, much to the curly-haired girl's dislike._

_Tia rambled on next to Keely, who waved at Collin sitting in the back corner. He smiled as she signaled with a gesture of her hand that Tia was crazy._

_Mrs. Vannadirge entered the room, encouraging the boys at the door to take their seats. They mocked her silently as they slowly walked to their desks. A few kids snickered._

"_Good morning, my little scientists," she greeted cheerily, setting folders and a cardboard box on her large black metal desk._

_A small handful of students weakly responded. She sighed when she glanced down at the front row. _

"_Tia...science class isn't for reading the latest issue of Slumber Party. Now matter how engrossing it may be."_

"_Gross...what?"_

"_Engrossing. Spelled with an 'en' and you may use the dictionary on my desk any time."_

_Tia stared blankly then took another sneak peek at the glossy paper._

"_Tia."_

"_But Mrs. V, there's an article on Jason Fang's new movie. He's friends with a robot. That's totally scientific," she explained while rapidly chewing her bubblegum._

"_And for the thousandth time, no gum," she replied, flipping the magazine closed._

_Tia whined quietly and slid it under her textbook. She spit her gum into a torn piece of paper. Mrs. Vannadirge tossed it into the trash can under the pencil sharpener._

"_Alright then. Does anyone have any scientific observations they'd like to share?" _

_She sat on the edge of her desk._

"_I got one," said a rough voice from the center, one of the boys who had been at the door earlier._

_Mrs. Vannadirge urged with caution that he tell the class._

_The boy laughed. "Skinny dorks run faster than fat ones."_

"_Randy, I warned you the next time would earn you a trip to the office." She pointed to the door. "Don't enjoy it too much."_

_He banged around unnecessarily while getting his belongings and scowled as he exited the room. Keely glanced over her shoulder, smiling at Collin._

"_Anyone else?"_

_The class responded with shrugs, shakes of their heads, and altogether avoidance._

"_No? Okay, let's begin then."_

_Her loose dark curls bounced as she sprang off the desk and half-skipped to the white board at the front of the room._

"_Today, we will start an experiment." She wrote the words 'chemical reaction' on the board in red marker. "Who knows what that means?"_

"_Like pouring household cleaners together to make a mushroom cloud!"_

_Giggles rang out over the classroom as Zeke took a small bow. Mrs. Vannadirge chuckled a bit. _

"_Thank you, Zeke, for volunteering an answer, but please, leave your mom's stuff alone, okay?"_

_He grinned and nodded._

"_It's what happens when you mix things, right?" asked another boy._

"_You're getting there, Jake."_

"_No, that's a _mixture_. We learned that last week. You get a mixture when you put different fruits together to make a fruit salad," replied a rather snooty girl._

"_That's right, Jennifer. Properties of the individual fruits don't change. An apple mixed into a bowl with an orange is still an apple."_

"_S-so...a chemical reaction..." Keely uttered, trying to work through the information, "a chemical reaction would be the apple turning into a pear or something else when mixed with an orange..."_

"_Great way of thinking, Keely," Mrs. Vannadirge commented with a proud smile._

"_A chemical reaction is defined as the combination of two reactants to form a new product," said a soft voice from the side of the room._

"_Good job, Katie."_

_Mrs. Vannadirge wrote the meaning on the the board for all to copy in their notebooks._

"_During a chemical reaction, bonds are either created or broken. We'll learn all about how that happens."_

_She picked up the cardboard box._

"_Today we're going to set up a simple experiment to demonstrate a chemical reaction, one you've probably seen many times in your piggy banks."_

_The students exchanged curious and confused glances as their teacher set out two beakers, a salt shaker, and a jug of water._

"_With these materials we'll be able to cause a chemical reaction to occur using these," she said, holding out her palm to show off two pennies._

"_We're gonna turn 'em into hundred dollar bills!" joked a spiky haired kid in the last row. His announcement was followed by several cheers._

"_I also wish, Levi," she chuckled. "But sadly, we won't be striking it rich here. You will, however, end this experiment with a new understanding of the world around you."_

_A few hushed 'boos' echoed around the room. Mrs. Vannadirge smiled and motioned for the class to gather around the long table near the windows where she intended to set up._

"_Why're we using salt in this one?" Jake asked, as he sprinkled a teaspoon of it onto one penny inside a beaker as per her instructions._

"_It's all part of the experiment. Hopefully, after careful observation, your answers will be discovered."_

"_I know why," remarked Jennifer. "We did this at camp and -"_

"_Don't tell us!" a couple of students protested._

"_Right, let's not spoil the results for everyone," Mrs. Vannadirge chimed in._

_A knock at the door interrupted her as she started to explain further instructions to the class. A short, robust woman with graying hair stood at the door._

"_You have an urgent call from your husband on line two."_

"_Thank you, Ms. Casby." She wiggled her fingers at the students as her way of telling them to sit down. "Rosa, you're class monitor. You all know the rules. Begin reading chapter nine quietly to yourselves."_

_She left the room after Rosa had taken her position at the white board. After making sure to wait long enough for Mrs. Vannadirge to have distanced herself far from the classroom, open books were left unattended by most._

_Tia immediately pulled out Slumber Party and immersed herself in the Jason Fang article. Keely turned in her seat and looked at Collin, who appeared to be following the teacher's orders. She tapped on Rachael's desk and whispered for her to get his attention._

_Rachael threw a purple pencil-top eraser at him, with the intention of hitting his book, but it smacked the top of his head instead._

_The girls giggled as he glanced up with a half-smile. Keely grinned._

"_How cute. Keely and Collin sittin' in a tree...makin' me puke up re-fried beans."_

_His loud voice had silenced everyone. Keely cast a glare at the freckle-faced kid. He responded by making kissing noises. Several students laughed. Keely rolled her eyes and waved at Collin. He returned it and lowered his head again. Keely's brow furrowed as she tried to see what he was doing, but Tia squealed and grabbed her arm..._

_After Mrs. Vannadirge had returned and scolded the freckle-faced kid and after they had finished preparing the experiment, two hours and two lessons later, the clock showed it was time to take a recess. As everyone hurried out of the room, Keely stayed at the door, waiting for Collin to join her._

_He approached with a hidden, slightly mischievous expression as he pulled his hood over his head._

"_Wanna play kickball today?"_

"_I don't care," he replied as they walked down the nearly empty hall to the double doors leading outside. "I got something for you."_

_Her face brightened. "A present?"_

"_Sorta," he laughed then leaned closer to her ear. "Don't say it out loud..."_

_She titled her head. "Say what?"_

_Slowly opening his fist, he revealed the object in his hand. _

"_A blue -"_

_He quickly clamped his palm over her mouth. "Kee-ly..."_

_She mumbled an apology behind his hand. He removed it and held the object closer to her face._

"_Where'd you get it?" she said in awe as she looked upon the penny, completely and perfectly blue as if it had never been any other way._

"_Made it," he whispered as they stepped onto the sidewalk bordering the playground._

_Keely held it between her fingertips to inspect it. "Nuh uh."_

"_Really, I did. Mrs. Vannadirge's experiment gave me the idea."_

_She looked confused and shook her head. "You're tricking me..."_

"_Honest, Keely. I turned it blue," he said in a low volume as some kids passed them._

_Biting on her lip for a moment, she then dropped it in his hand and said, "Make it pink."_

"_I...I can't."_

"_You say you made it blue. Why can't you?"_

_He sighed. "I dunno... Blue's the only color I can do. Tried to make it green first. Then every other color I could think of."_

"_Nice try, Collin."_

"_You got a penny?" he asked, eager to prove himself._

_She dug into her back pocket. "Got a...dime."_

_Collin held the coin in his hand, concentrating intently. Keely watched, fully entertained by her friend. After several seconds, he sighed heavily._

"_Maybe it only works on a penny," he considered glumly._

_She smiled, but felt a pang of sympathy for the boy as he stared at the grass, shaking his head. She scanned the immediate area, spotted a girl from class and called out her name._

"_Got any money?" she asked once the girl was at her side._

"_Why?"_

"_I wanna trade a dime for a penny."_

_Collin's head shot up._

_The girl laughed. "That's stupid..."_

"_I really need one."_

"_O-kay..." the girl replied, fishing some change from her pocket and picking out a penny from the pile._

"_Thanks!" Keely said, making the exchange._

_When the girl jogged off to rejoin her group, Keely put the penny in Collin's hand. He smiled and took a breath. Keely's eyes widened as the shiny copper began to fade and a brilliant crayon-blue color replaced it. Collin expelled a light laugh of delight._

"_Oh...my...gosh..." she mumbled, staring open-mouthed at the blue coin in his hand. "How...how did you..."_

"_I don't know how," he answered, staring at the coin as well. "Just thought I'd give it a try."_

_She glanced up, doubtfully. "You _just thought you'd try _to turn a penny blue_?_"  
_

"_Green. I tried to turn it green. Like what's gonna happen in the experiment."_

"_They're gonna turn green?" Keely chewed on the inside of her lip. "I don't get it..."_

"_The copper -"_

"_Not that! I don't get how you can do _this_..." She frowned slightly._

"_Beats me. How's it possible for me to do the other stuff? I...I thought you...just accepted it. It's okay, right?" he asked fearfully._

_She eased his anxieties with a warm smile. "Yeah." She put an arm around his shoulders. "You're my best friend. I don't need to know."_

_He gave her a thankful smile as they crossed the wet grass to the gate at the kickball field._

"_What am I gonna do with a blue penny, Collin?"_

_With a laugh he held the gate open for her._


	7. Slip of the Tongue

Keely had to drag herself to the car. She yawned, letting out a tiny squeak, as she leaned against the door and pushed on her shades in the bright afternoon sun.

"You get _any_ sleep last night?"

She yawned again and shook her head, trying to block another. "Why do you ask?

"Obviously, Keel, you're drained. Business at the Sit N Sip isn't _that_ boomin'." He pointed at the dark color under her eyes just barely visible underneath the rim of her sunglasses.

She shrugged, and Phil leaned next to her against the car and sighed.

"It's _blazing_ out here."

"You haven't had your frozen lemonade," she remarked sleepily.

"Only got a couple cents on me today."

She chuckled. "I hear Hannah's Hot Dogs is hiring."

"I'm not _that _hard up for cash."

"Free relish for employees," she tempted with a lazy smile. After noticing he was wearing a tight white sleeveless shirt, Keely raised an eyebrow. "What's with the muscle shirt?"

Phil frowned. "It's hot."

"The shirt?"

He frowned more deeply. "The weather."

Keely giggled lightly, but took another quick glance at the exposed bicep nearly touching her arm. She smiled to herself to realize he must have been working out lately or supplementing his diet with some kind of futuristic miracle muscle-grow.

"So, what kept you awake all night?" he asked, sounding a little irritated.

Picking up on the slight attitude, Keely rolled her eyes. "Phil..."

"What?" he asked, turning to face her. "Your new old best friend is kinda monopolizing your life, Keel."

"He's only been in town for a week. I missed a lot of time with him..."

"You have to spend ten hours a night making it up?" He crossed his arms.

"Just drop this, okay?" she sighed.

Phil leaned heavily against the door again. "I don't trust him."

Keely laughed bitterly. "You don't even _know_ him!

"Good reason to distrust him, don't you think?" he countered quickly.

She narrowed her eyes at him for a moment, then retrieved a piece of candy from the pocket of the apron she still hadn't taken off. Savoring the sweet and sour taste of watermelon, she closed her eyes briefly and wiped minuscule beads of perspiration from her hairline. Phil kept his expression firmly trained on her.

When she glanced at him, one corner of her mouth twitched. "Why can't I get mad at you?"

His face softened and a smile slowly formed as he spoke softly, "Cause I'm your best friend."

A distant memory crossed her mind for a split second, disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. She looked down at her feet then back to Phil, who was watching her with his warm, chocolate brown eyes.

Putting on hand on his wrist, Keely spoke softly, "We were so close... He's the most amazing person..."

Phil felt the sting from her words and recoiled a bit by removing himself from her touch.

"Well..." he said quietly, his voice drifting when he thought of nothing else to say.

"I didn't mean..." she sighed and moved to stand in front of him, sliding her shades up to rest on top of her head. "Just believe me when I say Collin would never hurt me."

He nodded, unable to argue with the look in her eyes.

"Sorry," he mumbled, looking down and feeling like a fool.

She smiled. "It's really cool to have such a great guy looking out for me...Phil."

Looking up at her, he couldn't resist the small grin forming on his face. Keely giggled and flicked his chest.

"With a shirt like that, who's gonna mess with us?"

Phil laughed and stole the sunglasses off her head.

"Hey!"

"These are mine," he said, holding them behind his back. "You took them weeks ago."

She chuckled and shrugged. Phil shook his head and gently placed them on her face.

"Since your eyes are so tired..." he commented with a playful smirk.

"I oughta go get a frozen lemonade just to throw in your face, Phil Diffy," she joked.

"Ooh...lover's spat?" A blond-haired guy dressed in black remarked as he shoved past Phil and smirked at Keely. He laughed obnoxiously as he continued on his way.

"I really don't like Randy Butterfield," Keely steamed.

Phil watched as he disappeared around the corner at the intersection. "Cause he assumed we were lovers or because he assumed we were _quarreling_ lovers?"

With a quick chuckle, she replied, "Neither. He's been a splinter in my side for years."

"Um, I believe the correct term is 'thorn'," Phil added.

"Whatever," she mumbled.

"What's his problem?" Phil inquired, being more sensitive to the subject at hand.

With a wave of her hand, she responded, "Heck if I know! He's just a bully. Always has been, probably always will be."

"Wel-"

"Most likely," interrupted a third voice.

"Collin!" Keely greeted, surprised but pleasantly so.

Phil cut his eyes over at the tall, black-haired teen a few feet to his right. He gave him a quick nod.

"I recognized him in a heartbeat," Collin said in reference to the blond jerk. "He still walks like he's got a load in his pants."

His comment sent Keely into a wild fit of giggles. Phil almost cracked a smile but made every effort to reign in any positive reaction to Collin's humor.

"Nice to see you again, Phil."

He stammered, momentarily caught off-guard but managed to get out a simply reply. Keely eyed him, but he dodged her glance.

"I'm sorry for interrupting..."

Keely shook her head. "No way. I just got off work. Phil here was complaining about the heat."

Tension enclosed the space between them, and Keely shifted weight uncomfortably from one foot to the other. Phil cleared his throat, pretended to cough, looked around in a rather paranoid manner, then finally settled his gaze on Keely.

"I guess I'll...go home...or something."

"No!"

The guys both startled slightly at her outburst. Keely laughed faintly.

"Uh, we should all hang out. How about at my house?" She quickly turned to Collin. "Or were you on your way to do something?"

"No..." He looked down the street with a strange expression.

Keely's brow furrowed, and Phil sized him up. An almost inaudible sigh escaped Collin as he turned back to the pair.

"I can't," Phil spat.

"Oh..."

"I need to uh, do something at home. Actually, Keel, I was uh, wondering if you'd help me."

She leaned her head to the right a few inches. "With what?"

"Just uh, something. For my mom. A surprise. I uh, need a female opinion..." He held in a breath while gauging her reaction.

"You should do that, Keely," Collin said before she had a chance to decide. "A surprise for a mother? You'd be ideal help with that."

She raised an eyebrow at his odd tone and the tiniest hint of a smirk on his lips.

"So you'll help me?" Phil pleaded.

Keely opened the car door and threw her bag inside. "Yeah, okay. Hop in." She laughed. "But you're from the future, I seriously doubt I can come up with anything to top -"

The expression on Phil's face very effectively silenced her. Her mind scrambled to identify the problem. An alarm went off when the correct information was found.

"Oh!" Spinning around to look at Collin, her jaw was hanging and her eyes were bulging.

He stood with his hands in his jeans pockets. His head was slightly lowered, enough to hide his hazel eyes. Seconds ticked by, then minutes. Keely was frozen in position, and Phil was breathing heavily.

Then, Collin lifted his head, slowly, and revealed a blank expression until a small line appeared on his forehead.

"What?"

Keely blinked. "_What_ what?"

He chuckled. "Did I miss something?"

"I dunno, did you?"

Shaking his head he replied, "I'm gonna go... I'll see you later, alright?"

Phil's shoulders relaxed, and he swallowed to wet his dry throat. He swung open the passenger door and collapsed into the seat with a loud sigh.

Keely waved to Collin and got behind the wheel.

But before she closed her door, Collin put a hand on it and leaned down to see inside the car.

"...What year are you from, Phil?"

* * *

Took a long time to get this chapter finished. Not enough hours in the day.


	8. The Beginning

_Cold, cold, cold, cold..._

_The single thought pounded against his skull like a caged animal desperately craving an escape, deafening all others. He closed his eyes so tightly that flashes of colored light exploded behind the lids. Small hands, frail but strong, gripped the frozen metal bar to which he was chained. His teeth chattered violently, sounding like bits of gravel scraping against a mirror. Biting his chapped lip, he felt nothing but disappointment from not drawing warm blood. Icy rain pelted the bare skin of his arms and breath-taking cold wind passed easily through the thin material of his short sleeves and camouflage pajama pants. His toes dug numbly into the grass at the bottom of the muddy puddle in which he stood._

_Knees threatened to buckle with every gust of air, and his ears throbbed. He wanted to collapse. His deprived body demanded rest._

_His eyes shot open, feeling as if needles penetrated past the hazel color straight into the deepest center of his brain. Glancing up at the naked trees above him, he silently asked for the strength to endure his life, not an easy way to end it. He remembered how his mother would whisper sweet words about a loving supreme power in a perfect place called Heaven. He remembered the worn cover of the book she carried with the golden inscription. She had asked for the strength to save herself and him. He had hid behind the large pile of clothes in a laundry basket while she lifted her head upward and asked quietly for a way out..._

_He remembered the glossy surface of her casket, how liquid-like it felt under his touch, just a quick feel with his fingertip while no one was looking..._

"_Collin!"_

_The voice roared like an engine. He more firmly planted his feet into that puddle and held onto the bar as if it provided his very breath._

"_COLLIN!"_

_A moderate shower had turned into a monstrous, raging storm. The cold, the cold, the cold, had returned with a vengeance, but was hardly a match for the pain from the hard blow he took to his lower back. He lurched forward, his forehead slamming against the bar. His strained arms gave out, and he dropped to his knees. Water and mud splashed everywhere._

_The heavy black boot, its laces undone, buried into the mud at his side. He didn't look up at its owner. He inhaled and did not exhale, hoping to cope with the burning agony of his two injuries._

_Thunder growled like a starving beast as lightning struck nearby. Neither caused the slightest jerk in his completely still body as he sat with arms wrapped around his waist and his head down._

"_Do you understand now?" the voice huffed._

_Collin shivered uncontrollably from the piercing pain and the chill from pellets of hail popping off his body. The owner of the voice stooped so that his head was next to Collin's. The breath was heavy and hot, unlike the air which escaped Collin's lungs._

"_Her..._god_...left you here, alone," the voice taunted above a whisper. "She never _prayed_ for you...little piece of nothing."_

_A rough hand, the skin dry and cracked, wrapped itself around his wrist and the steel locked onto it, then jerked, lifting Collin to his feet. Searing pain ripped through his shoulder, and he almost cried out, but he pressed his lips together as tightly as possible to prevent any sound from passing between them._

"_I'll teach you sense, _damn good sense_."_

_Collin kept his eyes focused on the water-logged ground and pea-sized balls of ice bouncing off his bare feet._

"_No more angels and miracles," the voice grunted. "The only thing for you is what I decide you deserve..."_

_Daring a glance, Collin craned his neck and squinted in the darkness. A twisted smile sat upon the man's unshaven face. A wave of nausea crashed upon Collin and a chill, not from the weather, encircled his frame, scratching with claw-like nails at his very soul as he stared into empty eyes and at the gleam of crooked teeth._

_The hail had transitioned to rain again, plump drops that thudded all around. Collin could feel them trickling down his scalp. It tickled him, and the rising nausea seemed to dissipate. He watched the ground again and heard the boots slosh through the flooded yard._

"_I'll call you when you're allowed to come inside!" the voice hissed as it retreated to the warm confines of the cabin._

_Thunder rumbled more distantly, but the downpour had ceased to let up. The surrounding woods were quiet now that the strong wind had calmed. He listened intently to the falling water hitting the rocks, branches, and puddles. The sounds were tranquil, and he basked in their melodies. _

_He sat upon the ground with his knees drawn to his chin, beyond caring about the water and the cold. Keeping his eyes shut, he lost himself in the symphony being played all around him. His body twitched frequently, but he paid no attention._

_Thoughts of his mother began to enter his mind, and he smiled on the inside, his lips too numb for him to realize his features displayed the same expression. His father was wrong. His lies would never overcome the faith and love Collin had for his mother. He knew she had prayed for him. He knew she had been searching for a way out for both of them. He believed the heart attack was hers and he would have a short wait for his own to come._

_Soon, soon, soon, he repeated to himself internally._

_An hour passed, or more, and Collin remained huddled on the ground, cold and wet, tired and alone. His stomach growled ferociously and his head swayed dizzily. The skin of his toes was wrinkled and puffy. His straight, black hair was matted to his forehead as the rain kept falling upon him. His back ached dully where the boot had struck him. He coughed, sounding congested and hoarse as his breath rattled throughout his chest._

_'Soon' had been replaced by 'what if' and 'maybe not' as the minutes continued to pass indifferent to his suffering. He willed the thoughts away but not completely. They lingered, haunting him._

_With no strength left to hold himself upright and with rapid dwindling hope of the cabin door opening, he made a slow move to lay down on his side. But the restraints were too short. He shook his head to ward off the tears. He leaned forward with eyes closed, encouraging himself to think of nothing, to just be void of emotions and all knowledge for a moment. Within seconds the tears were no longer in his eyes, and he opened them._

_He didn't recognize at first the light, assuming it was a trick of his exhausted body and mind. But after blinking several times and glancing to his left and then right, he saw that the light was still there and not shining upon another place except for the space he occupied._

_Straightening his spine a little, he saw how the light suddenly ended and the darkness of the night began at an invisible boundary less than four feet on either side of him. _

"_...what..."_

_It looked like sunlight. It felt like it too._

_He flexed his fingers in the warmth of the air in front of him. His body no longer quaked and his breathing was smooth._

_Then he noticed the ground. The puddle he had been sitting in was gone. Underneath him was thick bright green grass with a comfortable padding of soft dry soil. His pajama pants weren't soaked, in fact, appeared to have never been wet at all. His skin was warm and free of mud and raindrops._

"_The rain!" he whispered, looking up._

_He saw the night sky, a steady sheet of rain still falling. But it faded into nothing a few feet above his dry head. Stretching his arms skyward, he felt only warm air. He stretched a little further, then quickly lowered his arms._

"_Ah!" _

_The steel was firmly locked around his wrists, and the pain in his shoulder remained. With a touch to his back and forehead, he realized both spots were still tender. His grumbling gut reminded him of the long time he'd gone without food. His body still ached, his head still felt faint._

_But he felt the warmth running throughout every vein, and his chapped lips broke into a half-smile._


	9. Day After

The sound of magazine pages turning sharply was beginning to irritate Keely, and she aimed a blue ink pen in her friend's direction.

"Well," Via said, clearing her throat and placing the pen on the cluttered desktop, "we certainly are a tad grouchy today. Red fairy paying you a visit, love?"

Keely groaned dramatically. "Viiiaaa... I need advice. But I can't say why."

"Hm...I can't recall giving blindfolded guidance a go..." She reclined on her side, the lumpy comforter bunching where she rested. She looked at the untidiness and frowned. "There's always a speck on a clean floor and a rumple in the blankets..."

Glancing at Keely, who sat in a large circular chair, she shrugged off her musings and snapped her fingers to get the blonde's attention.

"It's...Phil."

Via forced herself to not roll her eyes. Instead, she nodded for Keely to continue.

"I have a friend who recently came back into town... and Phil's my friend, obviously ...and there's something that this other friend now knows that until I accidentally said something about it...no one else knew," she ended by expelling a loud breath.

Raising an eyebrow Via mulled over the rush of information. "Mmhmm..."

"You can help?" Keely responded excitedly.

"...No." Via left the bed and began to pace slowly from the door to the window. "But who is this _other_ friend?"

Keely sighed. "A very good friend from years ago. His name's Collin. I woulda told you about him before, but -"

"He's a secret?"

"N-no."

"But you don't want anyone to know of him, his presence in Pickford?"

Shaking her head, Keely explained, "I'm not keeping him hidden."

"Is he cute?"

"That's hardly appropriate right now..." scoffed Keely.

She chuckled. "Oh come off it. I must play the part of shallow teen girl once in a while. Keeps me well balanced."

Keely rolled her shoulder and stretched her back muscles. Via tucked her hair behind her ears.

"Alright. You let slip to Collin a secret of Phil's and now you need to amend the situation." She studied the ceiling for a minute. "There's essentially nothing you can do that would have any real effect."

"Wow, thanks, Via..."

"You could apologize to Phil, which I'm sure you've done numerous times." She titled her head. "Or...you could try to convince Collin that whatever this secret is, it's false."

"I tried that already, right after, but I got nervous and my words just came out all in a jumble," she explained, putting her palm to her forehead and sighing.

"And?" Via asked, missing the point.

"And I could tell by the look on his face, he knew I was only trying to cover my butt..." She pulled at frayed threads on the chair's large, plush cushion. "So then I just left, almost running over his feet in the process."

Via suppressed a laughed.

"It's really not funny, y'know..."

"Sorry..." She forced the smile off her face. "Well, I suppose you could rely on Collin to keep the secret, yes?"

Keely bit her lip. "Yeah...but..."

"Unless, of course, the secrecy was only necessary because it severely damages Phil's reputation...perhaps a questionable sexual preference...?"

"What?! Phil's not..." she exploded, lowering her voice to finish, "_gay_."

"I never intended to imply such. I was speaking of an unnatural fondness for animals or inanimate objects."

She stared, horrified. "That's gross, Via. Why do you always have to be so blunt?"

Shrugging, Via replied, "Is there a potential problem from Collin knowing of Phil's secret? Really? Other than Phil being upset with you for, two or three minutes?"

Keely smiled a little when Via had rolled her eyes upon ending her question. "I guess not... I trust Collin. It's not like he'd use it for personal gain."

"Is...there something to be gained from knowing Phil's secret?"

She eyed her friend suspiciously, and Via laughed quietly. Keely stared out the window at the drizzle misting the glass. She nestled further into the cushion and drew her knees to her chest.

_I'll never tell anyone. I promise. I take the most solomon vow._

_She swung her leg over her pink and purple bicycle and held her hand over her heart and her chin high. He smiled._

_I think it's 'solemn'..._

"You could always resort to more archaic tactics, or immature, depending on your view...hm..."

Keely shook her head slightly. "What?"

"I was thinking, you could tell Phil one of Collin's secrets, to even the score."

She laughed. "That's kinda lame, Via, don't ya think?"

"I'm only giving you options, Keely. You asked for my advice, assuming it would be good." She smirked. "That's your mistake, not mine."

"Well," she chuckled, "I'm not gonna do that. I didn't mean to say anything to Collin in the first place, so I think I'd be a pretty sucky person if I purposefully spilled a secret."

Via nodded. "So, why do you think you let the cat out of the bag?"

She leaned her head back. "Dunno... But I've always felt so comfortable when Collin's around... so casually making a comment about Phil's secret with him right there...I dunno... It was like I just dropped my guard or..or something..." She frowned as another thought surfaced. "What if I blab other things I'm not supposed to tell anyone?"

Rubbing her chin, Via assured her, "The mind isn't a completely secure place to store secrets, Keely. Even under the greatest effort to keep them, people fail. They rarely can even keep their own for long."

"Maybe you're right, but it doesn't make me feel any better." She stared at the floor and spoke quietly. "It wasn't even _just_ Phil's secret... I've betrayed the trust of his entire family..."

Via perked. "A family secret, hm? That's interesting..."

Keely lifted her hands in the air. "Gosh! I suddenly can't shut up!"

"Oh, nonsense, you're usually quite the chatterbox," Via said with a tiny smirk.

"You're really not being very helpful today," Keely responded, crossing her arms over her chest.

Her friend shrugged. "If perfection had been achieved today, what would I strive for tomorrow?"

Crossing the floor towards the lamp next to her bed, she sighed, "Well, I'm going out." She turned to Via, flicking the switch and grabbing her keys. "We're still shopping tomorrow, right?"

"Uh, yes..." She stood and stepped carefully around the bed, her foot hitting a stray fuzzy slipper. "Thanks for leaving the light on for me."

Keely laughed and held open the bedroom door.

"Where are you off to on this dreary summer night?" Via inquired as they headed for the stairs.

"I'm meeting up with Collin," Keely answered, quickly glancing over her shoulder to see Via's reaction, if any.

The brunette wore a cheeky smile.

"You have something to say?"

"May I meet him?"

Keely bounded off the last stair step. "Not tonight."

"Private rendezvous?"

"We just have some stuff to talk about..." She shut the front door behind them. "I'll introduce you soon, promise. Want me to drop you at home?"

Via pulled on her jacket with hood. "I don't mind the walk. Keeps me well balanced."

Keely shook her head and laughed. "Okay... See ya!"

"Stay dry!" Via shouted before Keely had closed the door.

The car backed out of the driveway onto the empty street and headed east while Via strolled westward along the sidewalk.

_Stay dry, Keely!_

_He held his books in one hand and waved to her with the other through the rain. His grin was bright under his too-big hood. She returned the wave enthusiastically as she took shelter in the backseat of her mom's car.  
_


	10. That Which Binds

A truck honked at the pair sitting on the side of the gravel road winding through the trees. Keely giggled as Collin gave the young guy and girl inside a small wave.

"What's so amusing?"

She leaned against a tree trunk, folding her hands in her lap. "This is a popular make out spot."

"_This_ place?" he asked, disbelieving anyone would want to partake in that activity among the prickly weeds.

Keely replied with a hum and a nod.

"Great idea..." he scoffed, "to bring your girlfriend to the dirt of the wilderness for a special moment. I bet they love that."

"I wouldn't mind. With a nice blanket and maybe a basket of fresh fruit, it wouldn't be so bad..." She took in the beauty of the sky visible through the thick canopy of leaves now that the weather had cleared. "It's pretty romantic, underneath the stars, hidden from the world, just a happy couple enjoying their time alone together..."

He rolled his eyes at her whimsical tone. "The occasional motorist giving you a way-to-go honk... the faint scent of decaying animal carcass on the breeze..."

"You've never had a girlfriend, have you?" she teased.

"Actually...I did." He twirled a broken stick between his fingers. "Last year... but she ended the relationship..."

"Because you ruined every potential romantic moment with talk of carcasses?"

He laughed and tossed the stick across the road. "No, I took her to a place like this to make out..." He glanced around. "Upon a wet dirt road with strangers blaring their horn at us..."

Keely doubled over from her giggling. Collin flashed her a half-smile and took hold of another stick.

"Really..." he began after she had quietened down, "she couldn't take the secrecy."

Keely nodded slowly.

"It was a dumb thing to do, on my part, getting involved with someone who has no clue who or what I am." He chuckled softly. "Guess I let my hormones rule over my sense."

"It's not fair..." she grumbled. "You deserve a normal life."

"Well... I'll just live vicariously through you, Keely." He smirked. "How exactly did you find out about this _popular make out spot_?"

"Everyone knows," she said, rolling her eyes. "You can't finish a week of high school without hearing a story about this place."

He shrugged. "Fair enough... more importantly, why did you bring me here?"

"Because I'm madly in love with you, Collin!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him.

They laughed together for a long time, each taking turns to crack a joke about it. Then Collin grew quiet.

"I think your friend...might hate me," he commented, looking at the bare ground between his gray hiking boots.

"Why the heck would you think that?"

Collin turned his head in her direction. "He's very protective of you..."

"So?" she laughed. "He's my friend, and he doesn't know you. He's got my back, is all. Phil has absolutely no reason to hate you."

With a low whistle under his breath, Collin looked away, across the road to the dark row of trees. "Is he stuck here?"

Keely sighed. "I was prepared to talk about this, but I really hoped it wouldn't come up..."

"The guy's from the future... I'm supposed to pretend he's from Kansas and forget my curiosity?"

"You could try," she suggested.

Collin laughed, causing Keely's brow to wrinkle in irritation.

"Why aren't you even the tiniest bit shocked?"

He shook his head to remove strands of black hair from his eyes. "I've experienced and encountered unusual things for years... A time traveler? Just add it to the list."

She chewed on her lip for a moment while staring at the rocky edge of the ditch in front of them. "So really, that would make you the best person to understand Phil's secret..."

He remained silent as he held the stick in his out-stretched palm, staring as if expecting it to do something.

"And...Phil would really be the best person to understand yours..." she continued above a whisper.

The stick vibrated slightly, then suddenly became covered in a thick white frost.

"Yeah!" Collin exclaimed happily, breaking Keely's distracted gaze.

She smiled, the fascination evident in her eyes. "I never get tired of seeing you do that stuff..."

"Learned I could do this Colorado, but it didn't always work," he explained. "Dayita helped me get better control..." He smiled to himself and set the thawing stick on the ground at his side.

"How did you meet her, anyway?" she asked, scooting closer along the boulder they sat upon so she could see the stick more clearly.

Collin inhaled deeply, the moist air heavy on his lungs. "When I left... I took a train with some money I'd stolen from... him. I didn't care where it went, not really. After spending a night at the station in Colorado, I walked for a about a day to a small town, a village really..."

"I was pretty hungry, my face was nearly pressed against the window of a little diner..." he chuckled. "Dayita saw me and must have known from the way I looked, that I was lost and alone..."

Keely's head lowered a bit.

"She invited me to her home for a meal... and I was there every day after that. She didn't have any family, like me... I worked odd jobs for neighbors, saved a good amount of cash. Dayita wanted to enroll me in the school, but that would've drawn more attention that I think either of us wanted."

"I went to the library, but Dayita taught me the most important lessons..."

"About your gift?" Keely prodded when he had paused for several moments.

"Gift..." he whispered, a bitter tone in his low voice, then shrugged. "If you want to call it that... She helped me focus it... so I wouldn't hurt anyone..."

He lowered his eyes and rubbed his hands together slowly. Keely absent-mindedly scanned the tree line.

_Some watched silently, too shocked to react, while others covered their eyes or screamed for a teacher. Keely trembled, unable to look away from the boy moaning in pain at her feet, curled up with a dark red stain rapidly spreading across his white shirt._

_Collin's breath was quick and his eyes wide. He looked at Keely's face, desperately pleading with his dark hazel eyes for her to look at him. As the seconds moved forward, sluggishly, a blur of bodies scattering and voices echoing filled the scene. Eventually she lifted her head, a long moment after the boy, who had teased her mercilessly only minutes ago, had been carried away._

_He expected to see fear and disgust. But her tear-filled eyes held forgiveness and understanding._

_Everyone inside, come on. Keely, Collin!_

"Is that why you left?"

Her voice was so quiet, he almost hadn't heard the question. He waited until she looked at his face, then nodded.

"You never wanted to hurt anyone, Collin. You couldn't."

"I've done bad things to people, not meaning to let things get out of hand doesn't matter." He stared firmly into her eyes but spoke gently. "I hurt them... I couldn't risk hurting you too..."

"You wouldn't have," she replied, shaking her head. "I know you wouldn't have."

"I have the ability to..."

She scoffed. "So why come back? If you're such a danger, why are you here?"

He sighed and glanced down, not ready to answer that question. Keely stood up, striding briskly to the opposite side of the road.

_He kissed me!_

_Collin's expression was completely void of any emotion as he stood with his hands in his pockets at the drinking fountain._

_You could be happy for me. Jump around like Tia did or something. It was my first kiss, y'know..._

_With a jerk two years older than you who's only into you because you're 12 and most likely more easily persuaded to do exactly that, kiss him._

_You stink, Collin!_

_He smiled when she swatted him with her orange sticker-covered binder. Keely mumbled her frustration and threw her hands in the air._

_Why can't I get mad at you?!_

_...Because I'm your best friend._

"I love you still, Collin," she whispered through a smile.

He returned it. "I love you too, Keely. Still."

She crossed the road to stand in front of him.

"Better call it a night," he said, getting to his feet. "Mr. Hamfold's been kind enough to let me crash in his spare room, shouldn't make him worry..."

"Mr. Hamfold? _That's_ who you've been staying with? Why didn't you tell me before?" Her hands were planted on her hips.

He just shrugged and began walking back to the car, nudging her side as he passed.

"Isn't he half blind and mostly deaf?" she chuckled. "Will he even know if you're gone?"

"Probably not."

She nodded. "That's why you picked him, huh. No questions asked?"

Collin raised an eyebrow. "I'll give him a little credit, though. He did remember me. I was his best student..."

"As if! Second best." she protested.

After walking in silent the rest of the way to the car, Keely asked, while opening the driver's door, "So... can I tell Phil about you? The real you?"

He lightly drummed his fingers on the roof. "...If you think you should, sure."

She smiled and settled in behind the wheel. "You two could be good friends, y'know... You already have a common bond..."

"He can start fires too?"

Keely laughed as the car pulled away from the wooded clearing. "Only by usual means... or with a future gadget."

"Hm...future gadgets...cool..." He watched the dark outlines of trees through the window and smiled. "We have something else, too..."

"Oh yeah?" she mumbled while fiddling with the stereo buttons.

"You," he replied, giving her a wink.

She giggled and finally decided on a song, which she began singing in perfect tune.


	11. Phil

Rhythmic scraping and banging noises caught his attention as he moped through the hallway swimming in a sea of thoughts. His eyebrow twitched upon seeing the bedroom door wide open for once. Taking a peek inside, he squinted against bright light reflecting off something flat.

The sounds stopped and a frustrated voice greeted him in a not so pleasant manner.

"May I not help you? Great. Goodbye now." Pim glared at him through protective goggles.

"Mom's gonna kill you for doing that in the house," he stated, sounding rather bored.

"An open door is not an invitation." She lowered the saw and began grinding against the sheet of metal again.

"Whatever," he mumbled and continued on his way to his parents' bedroom

"Dad...?" he asked, glancing around the room. Garments were strewn everywhere. Phil passed by a lamp from which a sock was hanging. Ties and shirts littered the floor, a pair of slacks covered the television.

"What happened here?"

His dad, sucking in to make the button on his outrageous pants fasten, grunted, "Oh, hey, Phil..."

"What's up...?" He shook his head at the mess and cleared a spot on the bed to sit.

"Just...try...ing... to....find -" The button fell to the floor and he groaned. "Oh squirrel tails... that's the third time that's happened!"

Phil offered a small smile. "Sorry, Dad..." He took in the sight of the extremely tight, firetruck red leather. "Those were really...cool pants."

"You bet they were! And cost me a small fortune!" He sighed as he stripped down to his polka dot boxer shorts. "Looking good the old-fashioned way is expensive. I don't see how the people from this century do it!"

"What's the occasion, anyway?" Phil watched, trying not to laugh, as his father hopped on one foot in a small circle, attempting to pull on another pair of pants.

"I'm takin' your mom out for a dinner date to a cozy little restaurant with human servers who give ya the smallest chocolate mints you've ever seen. They're adorable!" he grinned. "What do ya think?"

Lloyd gestured at the new pants, dark blue with extra large pleats and absurdly wide pockets. "These babies fit like a glove!"

"Or a deflated balloon," Phil whispered through a slight wince as his dad admired himself in the full length oval mirror. The material was too loose and drooping unattractively off his backside. The bagginess in the knees didn't help.

Tugging at the waist, Lloyd frowned, "Actually, I might have to wear a belt with these... huh... Hey Phil," he said, spinning to face his son, "would you wear a teal shirt or maybe a warmer tone with these?"

"Dad... I don't really think those particular pants are in style right now..." He pushed off the bed and headed to a pile of shirts and pants on the floor. "Now _these_, on the other hand, would work great."

Lloyd's expression fell a bit. "Oh...yeah, well those are nice, I guess..." He looked sadly at the pair of regular black slacks Phil held up.

Phil sighed softly and quickly searched for something to cheer up his father. "With this," he added, holding up a diagonally striped orange and yellow collar shirt, "Mom'll have the most handsome date in town."

His dad beamed as he took the outfit. "Thanks, son!" He dressed excitedly. "I'll tell ya, Phil, you sure know this century better than I do. You'd think by now I'd be getting the hang of it, but there's just so much to remember..."

He chuckled while straightening his collar. "Even Curtis is progressing faster than me!"

Phil raised an eyebrow, bending over to pick out a decent pair of his dad's shoes. "Uh...he still eats out of the neighborhood garbage cans..."

Lloyd, inspecting his nostrils in the mirror, huffed, "Some modern humans do that too, son. Just because it's popular in the big cities, that makes it wrong to do here?"

"Um..." he shook his head and sat back on the bed. "Anyway, Dad, I actually came in here to ask you something. A favor."

"Sure!" Lloyd replied, clipping at an errant nose hair.

Phil took a breath. "...I need to access the vault."

"Son," he began, pausing his grooming.

"I know we all agreed to stop using our future technology and start living like we're from this century, but... I need it," Phil pleaded.

Lloyd put down the tiny scissors and moved toward his son. "Phil..." he sighed. "I can't let ya. If I do then I'll have to let your sister, and I think it's pretty clear that her enemies have been much safer since we locked everything away."

"She's sawing metal in her room as we speak," he replied expressionlessly.

"Well...a kid's gotta have a hobby." He shrugged when Phil shook his head. "What do ya need future technology for, anyway? I thought you liked living like a normal twenty-first century kid."

He shifted uncomfortably. "It's uh...it's personal..."

Lloyd raised his brows. "Ah...I see." He gently elbowed Phil's ribs. "Need to remove some unwanted hair," he leaned closer to whisper behind his hand, "downstairs?"

"Dad, n-"

"I know _I_ hate when they start to pull and-"

"Dad!" Phil quickly interrupted by putting his hands on his father's shoulders. "I don't need to...remove anything... Okay?"

Lloyd nodded. "Then what do you need?"

"Can you just trust me? Please? I just need it for one little thing and then, I promise, I won't ask again."

His dad stood up and walked to the mirror, stroking his chin as he contemplated his son's request. Phil's leg bounced impatiently as he sat hoping for the answer he wanted. Five minutes later his dad turned around.

"Just between us men, alright?"

"Yes!" Phil cheered quietly. "Thank you, Dad, thank you!"

He waved him off. "I'll go get it for you... Meet me in the kitchen..." He mumbled to himself as he left the room.

Phil grinned and sprang to his feet. He hurried along the hallway, ignoring the scraping and banging this time, and jogged down the stairs. He waited at the table, biting his lip and eyeballing the clock. Finally, his dad emerged from the back door.

"You got it until tonight," Lloyd instructed as he set the Wizard in front of Phil. "Leave it in my underwear drawer when you're done."

Phil's head bobbed up and down and muttered another 'thanks' as he got to his feet and rushed past his dad. Once inside his room, he shut the door and headed to his desk.

Downstairs a knock sounded at the front door as Lloyd had just reached the top of the staircase. He rolled his eyes and went to answer it.

"Hey, Mr. Diffy!"

"Hi, Keely, come on in," he said while backing away. "Make yourself at home or whatever it is you do, I've got to finish getting ready before Barb gets home."

"Oh, uh okay..." She watched from the doorway as he climbed the stairs and disappeared.

Collin cleared his throat from behind her. "Nice, normal looking place..."

She turned and pushed against his shoulder as he smirked.

"Keel?" came a voice from inside.

"Hey!" she greeted with a broad smile. "Look who came to visit!"

Phil nodded at Collin, who returned it.

"Hey, Keel, uh there's something I need to show you..." He glanced at Collin.

"Yeah, I get it, go ahead." He leaned against the door frame. "I'm fine waiting."

"Um...okay..." Keely stepped inside and followed Phil to the kitchen.

He pulled her by the hand to the sink. "So...okay, hold out your hand."

Keely laughed. "What's this about, Phil?"

"Just...please?"

She raised an eyebrow at the nervous tone in his voice, but did as he asked.

Phil briefly closed his eyes, then opened them and reached inside his back pocket. Hesitantly, he dropped the contents of his fist into her palm.

"...Uh..." Keely glanced at Phil's face, back to her hand.

Speaking softly Phil stammered, "I-I couldn't...do it without help...from the future b-but..." He trailed off with a shrug, lowering his head.

Keely stared at the blue one-cent coin. "Phil..."

He cut her off. "It was stupid, never mind." He briskly walked away. "Your friend's waiting."

She sighed, tucked the change into her pocket and followed. "I...gotta use the bathroom, Phil..." she said from the bottom of the staircase. "You guys...chat or something..."

They both nodded. Once she was out of sight, Phil slowly approached the open door where Collin stood with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

Neither spoke for several seconds, only stared blankly at each other until Collin gestured at the curbside. "Uh...I think they're picketing..."

Leaning to get a look at the young girls holding insulting signs, Phil sighed and replied, "Yeah...they uh...have been a little crazy ever since they heard Via and I were uh, promised to each other."

Collin's forehead crinkled a bit, but he decided to change the subject. "I hope you're not upset with Keely for inviting me here..."

Phil's posture stiffened as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't care," he answered a bit harshly.

"I don't understand..." Collin replied with a light chuckle, "Why is this like a competition to you?"

He scoffed, "It's not."

"Alright, but you do see me as threat, right? Otherwise, why the defensive behavior?"

"That's ridiculous..." Phil mumbled, shaking his head and glancing at the front lawn.

Collin shrugged off his comment. "Look, Phil...I know about you, and I'm not going to go around telling everyone. I trust you won't either. As far as Keely, you have nothing to worry about. I care about her. I think you can understand that better than anyone...what's it like to want to make her happy, protect her..."

"Yeah..." Phil agreed quietly.

"Okay! Who wants iiiice creammm?" she asked in a sing-song voice as she came up behind Phil.

They stared at Keely, exchanged briefs glances at each other, then shrugged at the same time and replied, "Sure."

Keely grinned. "Cool! My treat."

"Even better," Collin smirked.

Phil laughed a little. Keely touched his wrist and gave him a smile as the trio walked to her car with Collin in the lead.


	12. The Gift

Keely giggled as she moved along the winding, narrow trail. Collin, behind her, chuckled and voiced a comment over his shoulder at Phil who was several steps away.

"He _always_ liked school," she announced, giving him a wink.

"Not always," Collin corrected. "Some days I was too tired to control my...whatever you want to call it."

"Gift," Keely supplied.

"Freak trait," Phil teased.

They all laughed again.

"School in the future is way better," Phil remarked loud enough for the two ahead of him to hear. "I never had to wake up at sunrise."

Keely rolled her eyes.

_Small waves rolled onto the beach as the kids played. They built large piles of moist sand and tackled each other upon them. They gathered shells of various sizes and shapes and used them to spell out messages. They dove into the cold waters of the early summer and laughed. _

_Keely sat on her thick purple towel warmed by the strong sun. At her side Collin drew patterns in the sand with a broken piece of dried driftwood._

"_Summer...vacation..." he murmured as his fingertip traced around the edges of a smooth rock._

"_You'll love it!_

_He sighed softly, gazing at the shining sea. "He's coming back in two days..."_

_Keely's smile faded as she pondered an idea. "Maybe...he'll be...different."_

_Collin sadly shook his head and tossed the driftwood a few feet to his left. He sat quietly for several minutes, then turned to her, his expression lighter. "I'm really glad he sent me to school, though..."_

_She grinned. "Me too."_

"_The whole year was so great...the computers, the teachers, the playground, the lun- well not the lunches."  
_

_Keely opened her mouth to comment, but a loud, high-pitched voice pierced the air as Tia bounded toward them._

"_Preston's mom brought watermelon! Come on, Keely!" she shouted from a few feet away._

_The blonde smiled brightly and motioned for Collin to join her as she jumped to her feet, her long ponytail bouncing on her tan shoulders._

"_I said _Keely_..." the dark haired girl in a lime green and yellow ruffled two-piece remarked with her hands on her hips and her head cocked. "Preston doesn't wanna share with _you_."_

_Keely frowned as Collin turned his face away. "No thanks, Tia..." she replied quietly._

"_They're gonna rent this big bouncy thing that goes in the water, too," Tia added._

"_You should go," Collin whispered, glancing up at his friend's face._

_She shook her head._

"_Go on. It'll be a lot of fun," he encouraged._

_Keely looked at Tia who waited very impatiently and back down at Collin sitting in the sand. "Sure it's okay?"_

_He smiled genuinely, and she returned it. Calling out a 'see ya later' over her shoulder and waving happily to him, she hurried off down the beach with Tia..._

"KEELY!" screamed Phil as he frantically searched the rocks where she had been standing and waving to him minutes earlier expressing her triumph and joy to have beat him to the next stop along their hike. The soles of his sneakers squeaked and slid on the wet surfaces. His fingers clawed at the jagged boulders to keep his balance.

Phil peered down into the bottom of the embankment. He couldn't see anything but thick brush and more rocks. The temperature had fallen rapidly and the wind whipped around his frame threatening to push him over the ledge. He dug his sneaker into the loose gravel and dirt, gripping thin cedar trunks as he made his way down.

"KEE-LY!" he called out again, his voice straining to be heard through the ravenous wind and the frequent popping and crackling of trees. He had ventured halfway down the slope when his foot missed the next step and his hand slid off a branch. The bark peeled some skin from his knuckles as he fell onto his stomach and descended to the shadowy bottom.

_Collin moved a little closer once some of the kids had left the beach. The giant toy no longer floated off shore, and the canopy with coolers had been packed up in the back of Preston's mother's vehicle. Watermelon rinds were scattered in the sand._

_From the waves Keely called his name. He noticed Tia rolling her eyes and swimming away to join a small chattering group. He eased into the chilly ocean, goosebumps immediately rising on his sun-kissed skin along his arms._

_His hazel eyes glowed brilliantly in the late afternoon sunshine reflecting off the water. She giggled and splashed him gently. Smirking and shaking the cold drops from his spiky black hair, he dove under a wave and swam after her..._

Phil groaned as he rolled onto his side, then hissed when he felt the tender spot along his ribs. Slowly he sat up, dusting himself free from debris covering his clothes. As he stood he realized his right ankle felt like it was being stabbed with a dozen knives.

Trying his best to ignore his injuries, he slowly made his way through the tall bushes while praying Keely would answer him.

_A larger, stronger wave had barreled toward them, leaving them unable to scramble to safety. Collin heard her scream as the rushing water lifted her then dragged her under. He quickly gulped some oxygen and dove headfirst into the wave. His eyes searched through the bubbles and sand the waters had stirred. The particles stung, but he pushed forward to the lifeless body near a rocky mound along the ocean's floor..._

"Phil! Over here!"

The voice wasn't hers, but he immediately sprinted as best as he could in its direction. He nearly tripped over a fallen branch inside the small clearing under the trees where Collin was kneeling next to a motionless form.

His blood pounded so hard in his head he felt like he would topple as he struggled closer. Tears welled up, but he would not let them spill over.

"I found her on the rocks at the bottom," Collin gushed, breathing heavily. "Carried her over here... She's..."

Phil ached from the sound of his voice and dropped to his knees beside his best friend, not caring about the excruciating pain along various points of his body.

"Keely..." he whispered as he gently stroked strands of blood-stained hair from her cheek. He placed his palm over her heart. A small sob escaped his throat to feel nothing beating inside her chest.

The wound on her skull was wide; the blood covered most of her head.

"You have to do something!" Phil pleaded, his tears falling freely now. "I know you can!"

Collin shook his head, his expression full of regret and guilt.

"YES!" Phil shouted angrily. "DO SOMETHING!"

"I...I can't... You don't understand..."

Phil hastily wiped his eyes. "You did it before!"

"But it's different now," Collin tried to explain, his own eyes watering to the point he couldn't see clearly. "I can't save her. I can't save anyone." He choked on his own voice as he stared down at his best friend's pale face. "...I'm so sorry," he whispered to her.

Phil heard the almost silent apology, and he looked into the stormy sky, black, gray and green, as he held her cold hand in his while Collin attempted to resuscitate her.

_He had to break the surface for air before he could reach her. Facing the beach he could see Tia and others playing in the distance, oblivious to what was happening in the pounding surf._

_With another deep breath, he sank back into the water and fought against the current. Right before he thought his lungs would explode, his fingers intertwined with hers. He yanked with all his strength and raced to the bright sunlit surface._

_He gasped greedily for air as he pulled Keely to his chest. The beach was farther away now; Tia and her friends were tiny dark objects against the brilliant sand. He shouted, but no one seemed to hear him. The roar of the crashing waves drowned out his small voice._

_As he fought to keep them both afloat, his heart hardened with the terror of being carried out to sea with his best friend slowly dying in his embrace..._

Phil sighed heavily as he turned back to Collin and their sad, lost eyes met. "What do we do...?"

Without forms of communication with the world and the great distance to Keely's car parked safely at the trail head, there was nothing.

"Try," Phil insisted firmly.

"I can't... I tried to save Dayita... I just... I can't do it anymore!"

"Please... I'm begging you to try..." Tears streaked his agonized face. "Please..."

"I'm dying..."

Phil shook his head in confusion. "What?" he half-shouted through the wind.

"Dayita said it was unnatural when I saved Keely, and that I've been dying ever since. I feel it..." Collin's head lowered. "It keeps me from saving another life..."

"Just try," Phil urged again. "I...I can't lose her."

His body shook from the cold wind and the light shower falling from the swirling sky. His tears were as uncontrollable as the shaking.

Thoughts of his mother filled Collin's mind. He could see her smiling face and feel her gentle touch. The warmth from the memories spread throughout his entire being. He could almost hear her calling his name...

He gazed at Keely, his best friend, the one to whom he owed every ounce of his happiness. He leaned down to her ear.

"I love you. Still," he whispered.

He placed his hand on her chest and closed his eyes.

_His legs and arms were growing tired and heavy, and her lips were turning darker purplish blue by the second. _

"_Hold on, Keely..." His young voice trembled with fear._

_He shouted again, helplessly, to the beach. His throat felt raw and dry. He could feel the grit in his eyes. He closed them tightly and concentrated on nothing but his desperate hope._

_The sun was hot on his face; the water cold. He focused so intently on his thoughts that he failed to notice the sea had calmed. He opened his eyes as he felt himself being moved by some invisible force._

_The surface was sparkling in the sunshine. A gentle rolling wave pushed them toward the beach. He closed his eyes again and flicked his hand under the surface. The small wave seemed to respond, carrying the pair more quickly to the shore._

_Soon he could touch the sandy bottom, and the rolling wave disappeared. He held Keely to his chest with one arm, and placed the other over her heart as he pulled her along._

"_You're going to be okay, you're going to be okay," he repeated to himself before yelling at the others._

_Tia was the only one who looked at him. Her jaw dropped when she saw Keely's head back and her eyes closed. She shouted to the others._

_Collin laid her gently on the sand just a few inches out of the surf, his palm still over her heart. "You're going to be okay, Keely, I promise..."_

_At that moment he felt a strange tingle in his body and an unusual warmth on her skin under the swimsuit's material where his palm rested._

_As Tia skidded to a stop beside them, Keely's eyes shot open and water spluttered from her mouth..._

An intense power, something from deep within, coursed through Collin's veins. It set his heart aflame with a strong, unyielding emotion. His mind ached, the blood inside rushing so swiftly he thought he would faint. Every muscle, exhausted and weak, was ready to give up. His lungs constricted and his hearing dulled. Sweat beads rose on his forehead despite the cold wind slapping against his face.

Then, suddenly, everything ended.

"_She's okay!" Tia cheered to the others who had stopped a few feet away to watch. She grinned down at Keely, ignorant to how close her friend had been to death. "Jeez, Keely, be more careful."_

_She skipped off to resume their game._

_Collin shook his head and gazed down at Keely with a sweet, happy smile. She returned it with a dazed one._

"_What happened...?" she asked wearily, coughing as she sat up._

_He sat beside her, exhaling heavily. "Uh...a wave...knocked you over."_

"_And you saved me?"_

_He nodded._

"_Thanks," she replied, shivering slightly._

_He smiled again and stared at the open ocean, wondering about what had just transpired..._

"Collin?" Phil's shaky voice asked.

The wind had died down and the sky had thickened into a blanket of gray. Collin was on his back, his hazel eyes hidden by the lids. His face was white, no movement or sound came from him.

Phil made a move to touch his arm, but a small noise caught his attention. He looked down to see Keely gazing up at him.

"Hey..." he whispered, his heart leaping with joy.

She smiled weakly. "...What's going on?"

Phil glanced back to Collin, but he was gone. Phil blinked rapidly and scanned the area, but he wasn't there.

Keely groaned softly. "My head...is killing me..." She trailed off as she saw the look on her best friend's face. "Phil?"

He stared down at her, unmoving and not knowing what to say, his hand still held onto hers as a few white flakes fluttered across his vision.

"Where's Collin?"

Phil closed his eyes briefly. Furrowing her brows Keely looked skyward to see flakes drifting like feathers to the earth.

"It's..." she commented quietly, her eyes shining with awe.

Phil simply nodded slowly as the snow fell silently.


	13. Keely

_They sat with their legs hanging over the side of the retaining wall as they munched on the afternoon's treat: triple chocolate fudge brownies._

"_What do ya think this would taste like in space?" Keely pondered while licking her fingertips._

"_...Chocolate?"_

_She giggled at Collin. "I mean, like a ham sandwich, for example, has a different taste when you eat it outside instead of at the kitchen table."_

"_Well..." he began slowly, swallowing the last bite, "...I think first you'd have to either say you're eating it in space or in a shuttle or something else in space."_

_Keely looked up in thought. "Hm...can you even eat _just_ in space?"_

_He rubbed his hands together to clear away the crumbs. "You can't breathe in space...not without a suit on, so...I guess you can't eat _just_ in space."_

"_Chocolate would taste like..." She trailed off in wonder._

_Collin chuckled. "The air inside your helmet."_

_She grinned. "Like eating your own breath."_

"_And if it was stinky..."_

"_Ew..."_

_They shared a laugh, then pushed off the wall._

"_Tomorrow," she sighed, then glanced his way. "Bet you're excited, huh. One in a million kids ready for school to start again," she teased._

_He watched the ground as they strolled a worn dirt path. Keely frowned slightly._

"_You okay?"_

_Making sure to avoid her eyes, he put on his best smile and nodded. Her expression relaxed, and they fell into an easy chat as they traveled along the path back toward town..._

She stared into it, green and blue like that which her fist held tightly. The sun warmed the breeze as it came gently rolling in from the ocean. Phil sat beside her in the dry soft sand while tears trailed silently down her face.

"I'd forgotten I had it..." she said after they had sat for nearly an hour, glancing at the two blue pennies, one's color darker than the other.

Phil looked down at her open palm. "What's the green one?"

She spoke slowly thinking back to a lesson she had learned years, "In a chemical reaction...a bond is destroyed...and a new bond is created."

"...I forgot about him, too," she whispered, her voice masked by grief and guilt.

Overcome by the sadness in her eyes, Phil gathered her into his arms.

"_Hi, Keely!"_

_Giving the passing bubbly girl a small wave, Keely remarked, "We should join a club this year."_

_Collin's fingertips slid across the front window of a dry-cleaning business as they journeyed through town. "Might be fun. You should definitely think about it. Maybe a math club..."_

_She shoved him playfully. "Ha! What about you?"_

_He stuffed his hands in his pockets, glancing away with a shrug. "You're the social one..."_

"_Kiss kiss lovedorks!" shouted a rude voice passing along the sidewalk on the other side of the street._

"_I really wish he'd transfer before the morning..." she gritted through her teeth before turning to Collin. "I know! Make his face all pimply!"_

_He shook his head._

_Keely lips tucked into a pout. "Boo... If I could do what you can, he'd have gross pimples all over his body."_

_Collin laughed. "Sure..."_

The sun had sank lower to the horizon, and Keely had reclined against Phil's chest. The coins were safe in her pocket, and the tear tracks on her cheeks had completely dried. The ambient sound of the waves caressing the shore made her feel weightless.

"I don't understand..." she began quietly, "...what happened to him?"

Phil sighed, not knowing what had occurred that day either. They both knew he was gone, but no sign pointed to where or how he had disappeared.

"He was..." Phil swallowed and tried again. "I saw him... He wasn't alive."

Feeling Keely tense up, he softly tightened his embrace to comfort her.

"But...he just...vanished..." She sniffled and frowned as the turmoil of emotions resurfaced. "Something happened to him...because of me."

Phil pressed his lips to the top of her head and closed his eyes, preparing himself to share with her what Collin had confessed.

"He was dying, Keely..."

She stared at the ocean, confusion clouding her features. "...what?"

Taking a breath Phil continued, "He said he knew he was dying, that he had tried to save Dayita...but he couldn't...and he was...heartbroken to think he couldn't save you again..."

Her brow furrowed as she took in this new information. Then, something Phil had said truly dawned on her. "Again?"

"Hm?"

She shifted in his arms until she could see into his eyes. "Save me again?"

"You...you don't know?"

"Know what?"

Phil sighed. "He told me...about how he saved you when you were a kid..." He gazed at the green-blue water. "In the ocean."

Keely scoffed quietly. "Oh that...I got pulled under by a wave. He carried me to the beach. Just swallowed some water, that's all."

"He...said you died."

She stared at him in disbelief.

"And brought you back somehow."

She shook her head. "What? I-I don't... That's not what happened..."

"Do you remember?" Phil prodded gently.

Keely set her sights on the ocean again, its color growing darker as the sun dipped lower. She thought back to that day and recalled how excited and happy she was to start summer vacation... She remembered playing with Tia and eating watermelon... She remembered swimming with Collin... and the waves getting bigger...

"All I remember is... being on the beach, coughing..." she mumbled, then turned to Phil. "Why wouldn't he tell me?"

_Keely skipped up to the path leading to her front porch, giggling at the jokes they were making. "See ya tomorrow, Collin..." She paused and rolled her eyes. "At school..."_

_He smiled, but it lacked the warmth it usually held. His dark hazel eyes were sorrowful and his posture showed defeat._

_But Keely had already turned her back on him to climb the steps..._

Phil shrugged slightly. "I feel really bad for the way I acted... Collin wanted to protect you and care for you..." He looked at her, a strong emotion in his dark brown eyes.

She nodded slowly as she began to understand. They sat without speaking for quite some time. The fading light of the sun glowed on the crests of the waves.

"It's not fair." Keely wiped a drop from the corner of her eye. "He was such a good person... and his whole life was just a bunch of pain... He lost his mom and his father was so cruel to him... People didn't wanna be his f-friend..." she sobbed quietly.

"Phil..."

She looked into his eyes, her bottom lip trembling. He cupped her face in his warm palms, running his thumb across the skin to wipe away her tears. A shiver shot down her spine, and she buried her face at his chest.

_In a new skirt and shoes, she waited with her backpack on her shoulders and her lunch bag hanging from her loose grip. She watched the corner of the sidewalk, expecting him at any minute to appear around the neatly trimmed hedges._

_But the minutes crept closer to the time for the first bell. She frowned at the empty space and headed in the opposite direction to school, thinking he was just late, and she would see him later._


End file.
